Pokémon RWBY: Journey through Vale
by OldSchoolVinny
Summary: (Pokémon!AU of RWBY) Ruby Rose starts her quest to become the Vale region's new Pokémon champion. With her new companion Eevee by her side, they'll be earning badges, making friends, rivals, and maybe save the world along the way.
1. Ruby's Journey Begins

_Welcome. My name is Professor Ozpin, and I'm a Pokémon researcher._

_For as long as humans have lived on this planet, there have been the presence of these creatures. Some believe that their existence predates even that of humans. Perhaps it was Pokémon themselves who created the world we live in today. Together, humans and Pokémon have lived side and side, almost as if one cannot exist without the other._

_Humans use Pokémon in many different ways. Some simply keep them as pets or for entertainment. Some use them to protect other humans and Pokémon against those who choose to use Pokémon to cause chaos around the world._

_The most popular use for Pokémon is training them for battle. Adults and children alike around the world go on journeys to become trainers and compete in professional battles. Those who prove to be the strongest go on to become champions of the various regions around the world._

_You came as a most interesting time. As we speak, word is quickly spreading of the Vale region looking for its next Pokémon champion._

_Welcome to the world of Pokémon._

#

A man in a white coat and black bowler hat walks the streets of Beacon City, being followed by his various henchmen in masks and armor bearing the symbol of the notorious Team White Fang. The people who catch sight of them make sure to step away as to not start trouble lest they want their Pokémon stolen. Their leader heads towards the city's Pokémon Center, a resting place for trainers and their Pokémon.

"Everyone freeze!" shouts their leader as he enters the center. His henchmen quickly run in and bring out their Houndours to scare the other trainers into giving up their Pokémon. The leader goes up to the nurse in charge behind the desk, hiding behind the counter as to not be seen.

"Excuse me, can I get some service here?" asks the leader.

"Please sir, we're just a Pokémon center!" says the nurse. "What can you possibly want from us?"

"This center also doubles as an orphanage for abandoned Pokémon doesn't it? I'd like to adopt all those poor Pokémon you have back there, along with pretty much everyone else's Pokémon as well. And make it quick! I'm a very busy man!"

"Yes sir! Right away sir!"

The nurse rose up from behind the counter; the first thing the White Fang leader noticed was the nurse's long blonde hair, almost golden in color.

"Wait a minute," said the leader. "You're the nurse?"

"Yes sir," said the nurse as she was making her way to the back.

"But don't the nurses usually have pink hair?"

"Well you see...I'm a special kind of nurse."

The nurse turned around to face the criminal. As soon as he got a look at the nurse's face, he suddenly recognized who she was.

"The kind who bust criminals like you!" shouted the nurse, ripping off her nurse uniform to reveal her Pokémon ranger uniform underneath. "Roman Torchwick, you're coming with me!"

"So we meet again Yang Xiao Long!" said Torchwick. "Sorry, but I've got places to be. So if you don't mind, I'll just be going now!"

Roman and his men were about to leave when two more rangers showed up at the entrance with Pokémon of their own.

"We can do this one of two ways," said Yang. "You give back everyone's Pokémon and come with us willingly, or we force you to."

"I'm going to have to go with option C," said Torchwick, taking out his Poké Ball calling out his Krookodile.

"You never learn, do you?" said Yang. "All right Celica, let's do this!"

Yang reached for her ball and called out her signature Pokémon, the giant green Dragonite she loved to refer to by its nickname.

"Celica, Dragon Tail!" commanded Yang.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!" commanded Torchwick.

The two Pokémon clashed tails against each other, each trying to overpower the other. Celica went for another swing against Krookodile; this time the Krookodile caught the tail with his mouth and began to bite down using its Crunch attack. With Krookodile's grip so strong that it couldn't let go, Celica flew over to a wall with Krookodile attached and swung its tail, slamming Krookodile into the wall, causing Krookodile to finally let go.

"Celica, Ice Beam!" shouted Yang. Celica fired an Ice Beam from its mouth at Krookodile; Krookodile escaped at the last second as the beam hit the wall and formed a glacier that could have trapped Krookodile.

"Now Celica, Dragon Rush!" Celica charged up its strength and immediately charged at Krookodile.

"Krookodile, time for some Foul Play!" said Torchwick. As soon as Dragonite grabbed Krookodile, Krookodile suddenly grabbed Celica, lifted her up in the air and slammed her hard into the ground, causing the entire center to shake. Krookodile then threw Celica with such strength into the counter that it crashed through the equipment and through the back wall that lead to the storage room full of Pokémon. The Pokémon inside scattered away and tried to hide amongst the wreckage to avoid the intense battle. Celica laid still in the debris, damaged heavily from Krookodile's counter.

"Finish her off Krookodile!" Krookodile charged to the back to finish off Celica. As Krookodile was about to Crunch down on Celica's head, Celica suddenly fired her Ice Beam at Krookodile, sending Krookodile flying back into the center. The ice cold feel of the beam caused severe damage to Krookodile, barely able to stand after that attack.

"C'mon you croc, get up!" shouted Torchwick.

"All right Celica, send these jokers flying!" Celica got up and rushed in with its Dragon Tail. With Krookodile barely able to move, Celica slammed its tail into Krookodile. Krookodile went flying into Torchwick and both got sent out of the Pokémon Center. Krookodile was no longer in condition to battle, and after that devastating attack, neither was Torchwick. Yang and Celica walked outside to finish the job.

"Could have saved yourself a lot of trouble Torchy," said Yang. "Now come quietly before Celica here gets really mad."

"You forget who you're talking to?" said Torchwick. Before Yang could respond, a bullhead suddenly showed up above as a group of White Fang grunts jumped down.

"Bring it on!" responded Yang. "Celica here can take you all out single-handedly!"

"Perhaps another time," said Torchwick. "Boys?"

One of the grunts called out a Skunktank. Celica was about to attack when the Skunktank suddenly sprayed a thick, nauseous Smokescreen that caused Celica and Yang to lose sight of them. As soon as the smoke cleared, the White Fang and Torchwick had already escaped into their bullhead and flew away from the area. Yang kicked the ground in frustration, upset that Torchwick had slipped through her fingers again.

The local authorities soon arrived and arrested the remaining White Fang members in the center. Yang went back inside to meet up with her fellow rangers Pyrrha and Coco.

"Well Torchwick escaped again," said Yang, "but overall I think we did pretty well."

"If you don't count the fact that you nearly wrecked this place," said Pyrrha.

"We need to make sure everyone's Pokémon here is accounted for," said Coco. "Yang, go to the back and assess the damage."

"Why me?" asked Yang.

"Because you caused it in the first place!" responded Coco. Yang sighed and went to the back.

Yang took out her scroll and quickly scanned all the Poké Balls in the back. Celica began to clear out the wreckage and gather all the loose Pokémon out of the center. As they continued to work on the back, Yang noticed something hiding in a dark corner. Curious as to what was over there, Yang went to the corner to find out. She shone her scroll's flashlight in the corner and noticed an Eevee balled up in the corner, eyes closed and body shaking.

"Hey there little fella, don't be scared," said Yang. "I'm a nice trainer. Come here."

The Eevee didn't respond. Yang reached over to the grab the Eevee; the Eevee tried to move back but was already in the corner. Yang picked up the Eevee and tried to give it a reassuring hug. The Eevee stopped shaking but still kept its eyes closed, not fully trusting Yang just yet. Yang opened her scan app and analyzed Eevee; according to the scroll, this Eevee was one of the abandoned Pokémon that had no trainer.

"No trainer huh? Guess that means you're up for adoption. How'd you like to hang out with me for a while?"

"Yang!" shouted Coco. "Hurry up already!"

"Yeah yeah I hear ya," responded Yang.

As the rangers were going over the damage, on a rooftop across the center was a trainer dressed in nearly all black. She had followed the White Fang to the center and was about to intervene until the rangers appeared. She stayed to watch the entire incident go down, and now that it was over, she disappeared into the darkness.

#

In Beacon City, there is a boarding school named Beacon Academy that teaches children how to become Pokémon trainers along with their usual school subjects. Once a student graduated from Beacon Academy, they would get a starting Pokémon and begin their professional training career by journeying across the Vale region. Although anybody can become a trainer, only those who met certain qualifications can compete in the professional leagues. To become qualified, a trainer would have to earn a minimum of eight gym badges from leaders appointed around Vale. Today was graduation day at Beacon Academy, and so many trainers were now going to begin the first step in their long journey.

One of them being a girl by the name of Ruby Rose.

Despite Ruby's alarm blaring in the room, Ruby tried to cover her head with a pillow and get back to sleep. Not touching the alarm simply caused it to get louder and louder. Ruby gave up trying to get some sleep and slammed her fist on her alarm clock.

"Time for another boring day of classes," said Ruby. Still half asleep, Ruby got up and slowly headed to the washroom. Along the way she looked over at the calendar she pinned to her wall. She looked at today's date to see which books she needed for today. "Let's see, today is Tuesday. So...wait." Ruby suddenly noticed she had written something on today's date. "Oh yeah, today's graduation day."

Still being half asleep, it took a few moments for Ruby to realize what she had just noticed. Ruby went back to the calendar and made sure she was reading it right.

"Today's graduation day?" said Ruby, double and triple checking to make sure she had the right date. "It is! It's graduation day!"

Ruby was now jumping up and down in excitement. She had been looking forward to this day since she started at Beacon Academy, and now, after four long years of studying, homework, group projects, and all sorts of boring nonsense, she was finally going to become a Pokémon trainer. Ruby quickly rushed into the washroom, showered, brushed her teeth, and got dressed all in record time. She usually took her time and didn't care about being a minute or two late to her classes, but she didn't want to miss a single minute of her graduation ceremony. Once she was done, she burst open her door with great enthusiasm.

"Good morning Beacon!" she shouted in the hallway.

"Morning sis!" someone replied. Ruby turned to see Yang waiting outside her dorm. Ruby was suddenly embarrassed that someone actually heard her.

"Oh, hey Yang," said Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I was going to miss my little sister's big day? You're finally going to become a trainer!"

"But don't you have ranger work to do?"

"I've got people covering for me."

"You say that every time you skip out on work."

"Hey, just because I take a few days off here and there doesn't mean I'm not a busy person."

As Ruby was about to retort about Yang's constant vacation time, she noticed Yang holding something in her arms. It was a small Pokémon sleeping in her arms.

"What's with the Pokémon Yang?" asked Ruby.

"Oh, this little cutie?" said Yang. "White Fang attacked a center last night that houses abandoned Pokémon. This Eevee was amongst the abandoned, so I decided to adopt it for now."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It seemed really scared so I tried to comfort it, and well...I just couldn't let go after that."

The Eevee began to wake up, and turned over to see Ruby looking at it.

"Hey there, I'm Ruby," whispered Ruby, reaching out to pet Eevee.

"Careful Ruby," said Yang. "This Eevee might still be scared to be interacting with..." Yang stopped talking as Ruby softly petted Eevee's head. Rather than act scared, Eevee smiled and tried licking Ruby's fingers. Yang was surprised to see Eevee take a liking to Ruby right away.

"Hey, she seems to really like you," said Yang. Yang put Eevee down; the Eevee circled around Ruby and then rubbed up against Ruby's leg.

"Nice to meet you too Eevee," replied Ruby.

"Speaking of meeting Pokémon, don't you need to meet up with Ozpin to get your starter now?"

"Oh, right!" said Ruby. Ruby started running down the hall, not wanting to be late to her ceremony. Yang and Eevee quickly ran to try to catch up with her.

"Slow down sis!" shouted Yang.

Ruby ignored Yang's plea and continued speeding down the hallway. As she made her way outside, she suddenly bumped into someone and caused the both of them to fall to the ground. The person she bumped into was another graduation student, wearing an all white dress that matched her hair color.

"Whoops, sorry about that!" said Ruby. The other student got up and was livid.

"Watch where you're going you mindless dunce!" shouted the girl.

"I said I was sorry!" said Ruby.

"Instead of being sorry, how about paying for my laundry since you've ruined my dress?"

"Jeez lady, no need to overreact like that."

The other student was livid to hear this clumsy oaf refer to her as simply "lady."

"Lady? Do you know who I am you idiot?" asked the other student.

"Let me guess, an annoying spoiled princess?" replied Ruby, getting sick of this other girl's attitude.

"You really are such a dunce! I am a member of the world prestigious Schnee family, Weiss Schnee!"

"Never heard of ya," retorted Ruby.

"Never heard of..." Weiss buried her face in her hands. "I don't think I have ever met someone as dumb as you."

"And I don't think I've ever met a jerk as rude as you!" replied Ruby.

Before things were about to escalate into a brawl, Yang and Eevee finally arrived on the scene.

"What's going on?" asked Yang.

"Princess here is throwing a fit over me bumping into her," said Ruby.

"To be fair Ruby, you should have watched where you were going."

"You're not helping sis!"

"I'd listen to her if I were you," said Weiss. "By the way, my name isn't princess, it's Weiss Schnee!"

"Schnee?" asked Yang. "As in the Schnee family?"

"Wait, you actually know her?" asked Ruby.

"FINALLY someone intelligent I can talk to!" replied Weiss.

"The Schnees are quite famous Ruby," said Yang. "They're the family behind Schnee Co., the company that makes tons of Pokémon items."

"Not to mention my father also happens to be, oh...the Vale region's Pokémon champion!" bragged Weiss.

"Seriously?" asked Ruby. "Her dad's the Pokémon champ?"

"Correction, WAS the champion," said Yang. "He reigned for nearly a decade until he recently stepped down to focus on his company full time."

"And it's only a matter of time before I take over for him," said Weiss. "Perhaps you'd like my autograph now so it becomes valuable once I'm crowned champion?"

"I think I'll wait until you actually become champ to get one," said Ruby. "Actually, IF you become champ."

"Your loss," said Weiss. "Now, if you excuse me, I have my graduation to attend to. I'll see you again at my championship coronation."

Weiss walked away as Ruby was fuming, eager to wanting to tackle her again.

"I can't wait to put that obnoxious ice queen in her place!" said Ruby.

"Calm down sis," said Yang. "Acting like a hothead is not going to help you become the next champion."

"Say, how do you become champion in the first place?"

"Well first, you need to be a professional trainer," explained Yang. "That requires getting eight gym badges. Then if you want to challenge the champion, you first have to defeat all members of that's region Elite Four. After that, then you get to challenge the champion for the title."

"But wait," said Ruby. "Didn't you say that Schnee guy stepped down as champion? So now what happens?"

"This year the committee decided to hold a tournament a few months from now. Any professionals registered before the tournament date will compete against the Elite Four. Anyone who beats the Elite Four will be entered in another tournament to determine the new champion. The tournament could wind up having any number of people compete. Heck, if only one person is able to beat the Elite Four, then that person automatically becomes the new champion!"

"All right!" said Ruby. "I'll get my badges, beat the Elite Four, and then become the new champion! I'll show that Schnee girl who the real dunce is!"

"Glad to see you're all fired up, but you need a Pokémon first, remember?"

Ruby suddenly realized she had wasted too much time, and started sprinting to the graduation ceremony.

#

All the graduating students stood at attention in the outdoor auditorium. The head professor of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin, took the stage to give his speech.

"Today is a special day for all of you. Today is the day you take your first step into your personal journeys. While every graduation here is special, this one is of great significance, as the Vale region is now looking for its next Pokémon League champion. Those of you who have chosen to become trainers here today could be that champion. Whether you decide to become a professional trainer, or breeder, or ranger, or any other endeavor, remember the key to succeeding in any of them is to be respectful of your Pokémon. The Pokémon you encounter and raise as your own will be more than just monsters that serve under you; they will become a part of you. Do not take your Pokémon for granted. Mistreating your Pokémon is not just a crime against your Pokémon; it is a reflection of what kind of person you really are. Congratulations, and may you succeed in your future endeavors."

Once the ceremony was complete, the graduates headed to the ballroom where everyone would be supplied with their starting kits, including their starting Pokémon of choice. Ruby was looking over her form, having trouble deciding who she wanted to start with.

"You'd better hurry up sis," said Yang. "It's first come first serve."

"I know, but I can't decide!" said Ruby. "I mean these grass types look cool, but so do these fire types, and the water types! I don't know which to choose!"

As Ruby was racking her brain trying to make a decision, Yang's Eevee was trying to climb up Ruby's leg, wanting to be picked up. Yang picked up Eevee so it wouldn't bother Ruby.

"Sorry Eevee, Ruby's pretty busy right now," said Yang. Suddenly, Ruby had an idea.

"Wait a minute," said Ruby. "Yang, you said that Eevee doesn't have a trainer, right?"

"Not officially, no."

Ruby turned to the Eevee in Yang's arms. "Say Eevee, how would you like to go on a journey with me?"

"Wait a minute Ruby," said Yang. "I don't think this Eevee is up for traveling and fighting other Pokémon just yet."

"So I'll just have to try extra harder to make sure it is!"

"Ruby, I know you're excited to start training right away, but you should start with a Pokémon already able to fight."

"Sorry Yang, but I've made my decision! My starting Pokémon will be Eevee!"

Yang lifted Eevee up and stared into its eyes. "Well Eevee, it's up to you. Ruby here is going to go on a long treacherous journey, and she's going to need a strong Pokémon to back her up. Are you willing to be that Pokémon?"

Eevee turned her head towards Ruby. Eevee had only met Ruby nearly an hour ago, but for some reason, it felt safe being with Ruby, and it didn't want to leave her side. Eevee turned to Yang and nodded.

"Then it's settled," said Yang, handing Eevee over to Ruby. "Eevee is officially yours."

Ruby smiled as she held Eevee in her hands. Eevee was equally happy, constantly chanting its name in joy.

Ruby finished her paperwork and went to the registration desk. Waiting at the desk was none other than Ozpin himself.

"Hello Miss Rose," said Ozpin. "Excited to begin your journey are we?"

"More than anything!" said Ruby. Ozpin was going over the form and noticed Ruby had marked the spot where she would not be taking a starter Pokémon.

"No starter chosen I see," said Ozpin. "So I assume you already have one with you?"

"Yep!" said Ruby, holding up her newly acquired Eevee.

"Ah, an Eevee. That happens to be one of my favorites. Here, allow me to supply you a ball for it."

Ozpin reached under his desk and pulled out an empty ball to store Eevee in, but Eevee suddenly wriggled out of Ruby's hands and hid behind Ruby.

"Eevee, what's wrong?" asked Ruby.

"It appears to be scared of going inside a ball," said Ozpin. "That's usually a sign of a Pokémon that has been treated badly. Is there something I should know?"

"Well, I did kind of adopt it about a minute ago, but I swear it really likes me!"

"Starting with an adopted Pokémon is a big risk Ruby. Are you absolutely sure you want to start with Eevee?"

"Positive Mr. Ozpin!"

"All right then. Here's your starter kit."

Ozpin pulled out a small box containing five empty balls for capturing, three potions, and what looked like some kind of handheld tablet.

"What's that?" asked Ruby.

"This is a personal invention of mine," said Ozpin. "It's a Pokédex. It's a scroll I've modified to help trainers on their journey. The dex will help you identify Pokémon you've come across, provide a map of the region, and several other functions. Think of it as carrying a personal encyclopedia."

Ruby took out the device and pressed the power button. After it was done booting up, a ginger-headed girl suddenly appeared on the screen.

"Salutations trainer!" said the girl. "What's your name?"

"Ruby Rose. Who are you?"

"My name is Penny. I serve as the personal AI for the Pokédex. It will be a pleasure to help you!"

"Glad to have you aboard Penny," replied Ruby. Ruby took her kit and shook Ozpin's hand.

"Good luck Miss Rose," said Ozpin.

Ruby headed out of the ballroom and was ready to mark her first destination on her journey. As she was going through her Pokédex, she was approached by a familiar white-haired nemesis.

"You're seriously going to be a trainer?" asked Weiss. "I bet you don't even know the first thing about raising Pokémon!"

"I know plenty about raising them, ice queen!" responded Ruby.

"Oh really? What say we have a battle with our Pokémon right now?"

"A battle already? But we just got our Pokémon-"

"I thought so," said Weiss with a smug look on her face. Ruby had enough of Weiss' antagonizing.

"Fine!" said Ruby. "I accept!"

The two went to the nearest opening outside and got ready for battle.

"All right Eevee, time for our very first battle!" said Ruby. "We're going to show ice queen here what we've got!" Ruby's Eevee walked into the center of their battlefield.

"Really?" said Weiss. "That's your starter? This is going to be a breeze."

Weiss threw out her Poké Ball and out popped a small black dragon. Ruby took out her Pokédex to get more information.

_Deino_

_Irate Pokémon_

_They cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn about their surroundings._

"All right Eevee, Tackle that Deino!" yelled Ruby. As Eevee charged at Deino, Weiss laughed at Ruby's amateur tactics.

"Deino, Headbutt that furball!" commanded Weiss. Deino ran at Eevee and butted heads. Deino's size and strength outclassed Eevee and sent her flying back. Ruby was shocked to see a starting Pokémon have such strength at an early level.

"Now Deino, Dragon Rage attack!" Deino started to scream loudly and sent a strong shock wave at Eevee, sending Eevee flying back even further. Eevee was so damaged it was barely able to move.

"Eevee!" Ruby ran over to her Pokémon and picked it up. As Ruby was worrying for Eevee's health, Weiss laughed.

"Two attacks and you're already done!" said Weiss. "You really are a dunce of a trainer!"

"You cheated!" said Ruby. "How can your Pokémon be so strong at such a small level?"

"The Schnee Family are the best Pokémon breeders in the world. I can't help it if my folks send me a starting Pokémon that just happens to outclass your poor little baby." Weiss reached into her pocket, pulled out some lien, and threw it at Ruby's feet. "Here's some money. Go buy yourself some more potions. Odds are you're really going to need it."

Weiss took back her Deino and laughed at how easy it was to beat Ruby. Ruby wanted nothing more than to grab that money and shove it down Weiss' throat, but she needed to get Eevee to a Pokémon center immediately.

#

Ruby was in Beacon Academy's Pokémon center, waiting for Eevee to fully recover. As she was moping in a chair in the lounge, she was approached by Yang and Ozpin.

"I heard you lost your first battle," said Ozpin.

"Maybe Weiss was right," said Ruby. "I let Eevee get annihilated back there. Maybe I'm not actually cut out to be a trainer."

"Ruby, it's only been one battle. You're not going to be good at anything if you decide to give up after one loss."

"Besides, that Deino was clearly too strong to be a starter Pokémon," said Yang.

"But if I can't beat Weiss now, what chance do I have even if I get better Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

"You'll just have to keep trying," said Ozpin. "Or perhaps you would like a new Pokémon. I still have a few left."

"Yeah Ruby," said Yang. "I know you like Eevee and all, but she's not ready to be a fighter just yet. Let's go pick out another Pokémon for you."

Ruby stood up from her chair. Yang and Ozpin walked out of the center thinking Ruby was going to follow, but Ruby remained where she was.

"No," said Ruby. "I've made my choice to start with Eevee, and I'm going to stand by my decision. I'm not going to let that Eevee get abandoned again because of my faults. I'll prove I have what it takes to become Pokémon League champion, and I'll do it with her!"

Ozpin smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Before I go, I'll let you know that you should head to the Emerald Forest first. There you'll find plenty of low-level Pokémon to help boost your Eevee's strength, not to mention start forming your team."

"Thank you Professor Ozpin," said Ruby.

The nurse returned to the lounge with Eevee, fully recovered and ready to go.

"All right Eevee, you and I are heading to the Emerald Forest, and together we're going to get stronger! Before you know it, you and I are going to have eight badges and be in the Pokémon league! You ready to go?"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee.

"And hey," said Yang, "if you ever need help with anything, give me a call, all right?"

"I don't think we'll be doing that much, will we Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

Ruby packed up her belongings and headed out en route to the Emerald Forest. Ruby's Pokémon journey had officially begun.


	2. Panic in the Emerald Forest

The Emerald Forest is home to many different kinds of Pokémon. Most of them are around the low level range, so it also serves as a good starting point for trainers just beginning their journey. However, there are still many dangers that lie in the forest that all trainers should be weary of.

The trainer in black who witnessed the White Fang attack at Beacon City overlooks the forest. According to her investigation, the White Fang were somewhere in this forest. Looking over the Pokémon that inhabited this area, she had a good idea of what they were up to. She needed to find them and put a stop to them as soon as possible.

#

Ruby was walking around the forest, keeping her sights out for any wild Pokémon to capture. Her Eevee was sticking out of her backpack; Eevee did not feel comfortable inside a ball, so Ruby decided to carry Eevee around, even if was a pain in her back.

"See anything yet Eevee?" asked Ruby. They had been walking around for close to an hour and had yet to encounter a Pokémon. Ruby was starting to think she was going around in circles, as she could have sworn she was seeing the same tree over and over. Ruby dropped her bag and rested on a log. Even if she was somewhat lost, the forest was pretty peaceful at least.

That peace lasted for about three seconds as Ruby heard a loud rustling in the bushes. Ruby got up and looked to where she heard a noise. Out of the bushes came a Pidgey. Ruby smiled at her first opportunity to catch a Pokémon. She took out her Pokédex to get better information on Pidgey.

_Pidgey_

_Tiny Bird Pokémon_

_A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand._

"All right Penny, what else can you tell me about Pidgey?"

"Pidgeys are Normal and Flying type," explained Penny. "A wild Pidgey will usually use Sand Attack to blind Pokémon to give themselves an advantage."

"Okay, so all we have to do is avoid the Sand Attack and we'll be fine. C'mon Eevee, let's get to work!"

The Pidgey walked around pecking the ground searching for food, paying no attention to Ruby. Ruby went over to her backpack and took out Eevee.

"Eevee, attack that Pidgey with a surprise Tackle!" said Ruby. Upon hearing Ruby's command, the Pidgey suddenly turned to see what Ruby was up to. Ruby expected Eevee to start attacking, but instead Eevee just stood in place.

"C'mon Eevee, use Tackle!" Eevee started shaking and whimpering, then suddenly ran back to hide in Ruby's backpack. "What are you doing Eevee? It's just a Pidgey!"

"Eevee!" shouted a scared Eevee. While Eevee was trying to hide, the Pidgey started stepping closer to Ruby. Ruby looked down to see the Pidgey looking up at her. Not exactly sure what to do now, Ruby decided to leap at the Pidgey herself. Pidgey jumped back as Ruby flopped face first to the ground. As Ruby looked up, Pidgey suddenly flapped its wings and sprayed sand into Ruby's face. Ruby screamed as her eyes got burned from the sand, then the Pidgey flew away into the forest.

Ruby went into her backpack and poured water into her eyes to ease the burning sensation. Once her eyes were back to normal, she looked down on Eevee, who had a melancholy expression on her face. "What's wrong Eevee? Why did you suddenly freeze up like that?"

Eevee just looked down and didn't respond to Ruby, but Ruby was starting to think she knew what was wrong. The last time Eevee was in battle was against Weiss and her Deino. The Deino defeated Eevee with little to no effort, and Eevee was severely injured. Yang and Ozpin had told Ruby that Eevee may not be capable of fighting, as Eevee was an abandoned Pokémon rather than one bred for battle. Despite the hardship, Ruby had figured that Eevee would eventually get adjusted with Ruby and be able to fight, but it looked like Eevee wasn't ready to fight just yet. Ruby picked up Eevee and sat Eevee on her lap.

"I'm sorry Eevee; this is all my fault. I made you battle when I shouldn't have, and you got seriously hurt because of it. From now on, I won't use you for battle until you're 100% ready, okay?" Eevee still felt upset, but nodded in agreement with Ruby.

Ruby continued looking for more Pokémon in the forest. She stopped by a thin tree that had a Wurmple crawling along a branch, stopping to feed on a leaf.

"Penny, what can you tell me about Wurmple?"

"Wurmples are Bug types that love to eat leaves," said Penny. "Wurmples are usually very easy to catch due to their low level of power."

"Perfect; it means I don't have to battle it first. I should get it down so it's easier to catch."

Ruby shook the tree, trying to shake the Wurmple off. After shaking it for about a minute, the Wurmple finally fell to the ground. "All right Wurmple, time for you to join Team Ruby!"

Ruby got out one of her Poké Balls and was about to throw it when suddenly a Fletchling jumped out of a bush and tried to attack the Wurmple.

"Hey!" shouted Ruby. "Wurmple's my catch! Get out of here!" Ruby tried to kick some dirt at Fletchling to shoo it away. Annoyed by Ruby kicking dirt at it, the Fletchling turned to Ruby and used its Sand Attack on Ruby.

"Not again!" yelled Ruby as her eyes burned once again from the sand. Wurmple used the distraction to crawl into the dirt and flee from its predators. With its meal now gone, Fletchling flew away, while Ruby was trying to clean her eyes again.

"At this rate I'm never going to catch a Pokémon." Ruby heard rustling in a bush nearby. Ruby snuck over to the bush and saw something poking out. Ruby couldn't quite make out what it was supposed to be, but it looked like two small black horns sticking out.

"This time I'm not going to waste any time. Prepare to be caught whatever you are!" Ruby threw the ball as hard as she could at the bush, hoping to catch the Pokémon off guard for an easy capture. The ball hit the creature on the top of its head, making a loud thud.

"OW!" shouted the creature.

"Ow?" thought Ruby. She wondered what kind of Pokémon would make a noise like that, until she suddenly realized that what she threw her ball at wasn't a Pokémon at all. The "horns" were actually the bow on top of the person who stood up holding her head in pain. Ruby was mortified; she ran up to the trainer to make sure she was okay.

"I'm so sorry!" stuttered Ruby quickly. "I thought you were a Pokémon! Are you okay? Are you bleeding?"

"I'm fine," said the trainer decked in black. "Just...what are you doing throwing balls at random?"

"I'm trying to catch my first Pokémon and I thought you were a Pokémon and I didn't want to get blasted with sand again so I figured maybe if I just threw this ball really hard I can catch the Pokémon and I'm really really really really really really-"

"Okay, I get it!" said the other trainer. "You can stop apologizing."

"I'm sorry. Oops! I mean...uh..." Ruby buried her head in her hands, ashamed of everything she was doing right now. "Is there anything I can do to make up for all this?"

"Do you at least have an ice pack or something?"

"I have some cold water. Will that do?"

"It will have to for now. What's your name by the way?"

"Oh right, I never you told my name. I'm sorry...I mean, I'm Ruby!"

"I'm Blake."

Blake and Ruby sat on a log as Ruby pulled out a cold bottle of water to give to Blake. Blake placed the water on the back of her head; the water wasn't very effective but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you," said Blake.

"Again, I'm REALLY sorry about doing that," said Ruby.

"It's not a big deal. But why were you trying to catch Pokémon at random instead of battling them first? You don't have a Pokémon of your own?"

"Oh, I have a Pokémon. It's just...well…." As if right on cue, Eevee crawled out of the backpack to stretch its legs. Eevee noticed Blake and ran up to greet her.

"Is this your Pokémon?" asked Blake.

"Yeah," said Ruby. "Say hi to Blake, Eevee."

"Eevee!" greeted Eevee.

"So you have a Pokémon already but you don't use it for battle?" asked Blake.

"It's...kind of complicated right now," said Ruby, looking away and twiddling her thumbs.

"Perhaps Eevee here can give a better explanation." Blake picked up Eevee and stared deeply into her eyes. "Eevee, why do you not fight for your trainer?"

Blake noticed Eevee's eyes dart around, as if she was trying to avoid answering the question as well. Eevee's facial reactions was all Blake needed to know exactly what was going on.

"So Eevee has lost the will to fight," said Blake. "It suffered a loss so devastating that it refuses to get into any kind of battle."

"Whoa!" said Ruby. "You're good."

"Not to call you a bad trainer, but you must have done something really bad to cause Eevee to feel this way."

"I know. I made Eevee fight when it wasn't ready and I got her seriously hurt. But I promise it won't happen again!"

"It doesn't matter if you promise to never do it again; it could already be too late."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me, how did you get this Eevee in the first place?"

"It was an abandoned Pokémon. I adopted it."

"So this Pokémon already has trust issues from being abandoned, and instead of taking the time to let her get readjusted being with another trainer, you immediately sent it out to battle. It's no wonder this Eevee has lost all respect for you."

"You think Eevee lost all respect for me?" Ruby stood up, not believing what Blake was saying. "But Eevee likes me! It agreed to come with me in the first place!"

"It may have only agreed to come with you because you just happened to be nice to it the day you met," said Blake. "Or perhaps it was just so desperate to be with a trainer that it agreed to come with you without realizing what exactly she was agreeing to do."

"You're wrong!" yelled Ruby. "I know I screwed up, but I care about Eevee, and Eevee cares about me!"

"Ask your Eevee if she feels the same way."

"I will! C'mon Eevee, show Blake that you still like me!"

Ruby bent down and held her arms out, waiting for Eevee to come running over and jump into her arms. Eevee instead just looked away and frowned. Ruby couldn't believe it, but Blake was right; Eevee didn't actually like Ruby. Ruby was feeling heartbroken.

"Eevee? You...you really don't like me?" Eevee didn't respond.

"I know you mean well Ruby," said Blake, "but you've given Eevee no reason to trust you."

"Then I guess I really am a worthless trainer."

"I'd love to stick around and help out, but I've got work to do."

Blake stood up and was about to walk off when she was suddenly grabbed by Ruby.

"Wait!" said Ruby. "You've got to help me get Eevee to like me again!"

"Ruby, I can't help you with that," said Blake. "You need to sort out whatever issues you and Eevee have on your own."

"Then can you at least help me catch a new Pokémon? If I don't catch Pokémon soon I'll never be able to become a trainer!"

"Ruby, I'm very busy with something else right now. Please, let me go!" Blake broke her arm free from Ruby and was about to run until Ruby suddenly attached herself to Blake's leg instead.

"Please Blake, I'm begging you! I know I can become a great trainer! I just need some help!"

Blake sighed. She really didn't want to get herself involved in this, but she wouldn't have a clear conscious if she just left his poor girl on her own.

"Fine, I'll help," said Blake. "Tag along with me and I'll give you some pointers."

Ruby smiled, jumped right back up and bowed over and over again. "Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" Ruby gathered her belongings along with Eevee and started following Blake.

#

As Ruby and Blake were walking in the forest, Blake was giving Ruby various pointers about how to catch and fight Pokémon.

"Now if your Pokémon aren't up for battle, you can try using berries to distract Pokémon," said Blake.

"Berries, got it," said Ruby, frantically scribbling notes on every word Blake was saying.

"You're lucky you're in this forest. This place has plenty of berry trees around. In fact, we should be right next to one."

Blake looked around and noticed a tree growing berries right next to them.

"Perfect," said Blake.

"So now what?" asked Ruby. "Do we start laying out our trap?"

"No need to," said Blake. "In a place like this we simply need to wait for the Pokémon to come to the tree. Then once the time is right, you should be able to catch it by surprise."

"Okay!" said Ruby, hiding in the nearby bush waiting for her first catch. After some time passed, Blake and Ruby looked up to see a Combee flying above them, nibbling at the bark of the berry tree. Ruby took out her dex to get more info.

_Combee_

_Tiny Bee Pokémon_

_It collects and delivers honey to its colony._

"Looks like it's too busy collecting honey to notice us," said Ruby. "Now's my chance!" Ruby grabbed her ball and was about to throw when Blake stopped her.

"Wait!" said Blake.

"What now?"

"I need to follow this Combee."

"Why?"

"This Combee will lead me to its nest. It's important I get there as soon as I can."

"What's so important about this nest?"

"I'll explain later."

After the Combee was done gathering honey, it flew off for its nest. Blake and Ruby quickly started following it.

"I get it," said Ruby. "Combee must be taking us to other Pokémon, so that way I can catch even more of them."

"That's not why I'm following it," said Blake.

"Well then why are we following it?"

"The reason I came to this forest is because someone I know is trying to find this nest for bad reasons, and I need to stop them before something really bad happens."

"Who is this someone you're talking about?"

"Look Ruby, I know you're trying to be helpful, but I don't want you getting involved in this, especially when you don't have anything to fight back with."

Ruby wanted to respond that she still wanted to help, but Blake was right. What good was Ruby going to be if she didn't even have a Pokémon to use?

After following the Combee for a while, the two of them came into a wide clearing. The clearing was swarming with Combees flying all over the place. In the middle stood a tree with Kakunas lying everywhere, and flying around the tree was Vespiquen.

"Whoa," muttered Ruby, taking in the amazing sight of Vespiquen's nest. "What is this?"

"It's a nest for bee type Pokémon," said Blake. "That Vespiquen you see down there is the leader. The Combees gather honey for the Vespiquen, who then uses the honey to feed her children."

"How many children?"

"You're looking at them." Ruby looked around and immediately lost count of how many Combees were flying around.

"Why would anyone want to attack this place?" asked Ruby.

"The honey that Combee gathers can be used to attract rare Pokémon," said Blake. "It's much more effective than berries."

As Ruby tried to count over and over how many Combees there were, she noticed one of the Combees had something sticking to the back of their body. It was a small device that was constantly blinking on and off.

"Hey Blake?" asked Ruby. "Why does that Combee have that thing on its back?"

"What Combee?" asked Blake. Ruby pointed to the Combee with the weird device. Blake immediately ran over and grabbed the device off the Combee without being noticed. When Blake saw the device, she started to panic. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong Blake?"

"Ruby, I need you to get out of here before-"

But it was too late, as suddenly a large horde of Houndours suddenly came charging out of the forest and starting spraying fire all over the place. The Combees started flying around in a panic to avoid the flames.

"Blake, what's going on?" shouted Ruby.

"I'll handle this!" said Blake, grabbing her Poké Ball and tossing it. The ball opened up and out came her Greninja. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

The Greninja immediately threw shurikens made out of water at every Houndour in sight, knocking them down in one hit. Once the Houndours ceased firing, the Greninja put out any nearby flames burning the grass area. Ruby stood back in amazement at the Greninja's quick work.

"Looks like somebody showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time!" A man in a white coat and black bowler hat suddenly appeared along with a group of henchmen in masks behind him.

"Who are you?" asked Ruby.

"They're the bad people I was telling you about," said Blake.

"Allow me to introduce myself!" said Torchwick, spinning around the cane he liked to carry with him. "I am the stylin'...profilin'...master of Pokémon crime! Commander of the White Fang, the one, the only, THE Roman Torchwick!"

"Why are you trying to hurt these Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

"Ruby, just get out of here!" shouted Blake.

"I'd listen to her if I were you little red," said Torchwick. "The White Fang doesn't like people interfering in our affairs, which speaking of..."

Torchwick pointed his cane towards the Vespiquen by the tree. Torchwick fired a bomb that burst into a net and tangled the Vespiquen.

"Group A, go gather all the honey from our queen," said Torchwick. "Group B, burn this forest to the ground."

The Houndours got back up and started attacking the Combees again; Blake used her Greninja to fight off all the Houndours. Meanwhile, Torchwick and a bunch of grunts went to the Vespiquen nest and tried to gather as much honey as they could. Not wanting to be useless, Ruby ran over to the nest to fight off the grunts herself.

"Leave those Pokémon alone!" said Ruby, grabbing onto Torchwick.

"Big mistake kid!" said Torchwick, knocking Ruby back. Torchwick took out his ball and called out his Krookodile. "Krookodile, show this kid what happens with those who mess with the White Fang!"

The Krookodile lobbed at Ruby with its giant jaws. Ruby got up and immediately backed away before getting her head bitten off. The Krookodile kept its eyes locked on Ruby as the rest of the White Fang continued to gather honey. Once they gathered as much as they could carry, Torchwick carried the honey in a giant sack.

"All right boys," said Torchwick, "I'll be taking this to our boss. The rest of you stay here and make sure everything gets burnt to a crisp."

Torchwick took his sack of honey and was leaving with Krookodile, while the rest of the grunts used their Houndours to attack the Combees and Greninja trying to fight back. Meanwhile, Ruby was trying to think of some way she can stop Torchwick.

_"What do I do?" thought Ruby. "I can't use Eevee to fight back and he's got that giant croc protecting him! C'mon Ruby, THINK!"_ Ruby was pounding her head trying to come up with a solution, and surprisingly, pounding her head did just that. She took out one of her Poké Balls and ran towards Torchwick.

"Heads up Roman!" said Ruby, chucking the ball as hard as she could. Torchwick turned to see what was going on and got smacked in the forehead from Ruby's Poké Ball, causing him to drop his sack and grab his forehead in pain. Ruby ran over to the grab the sack and start running.

"Oh that's it!" said a livid Torchwick. "You're going to pay for that little red! Krookodile, get her!"

The Krookodile started chasing Ruby around the field. Having to carry around a giant sack along with her normal stuff, Ruby couldn't get very far before being exhausted and falling to the ground. Ruby turned around the see the Krookodile about to attack her. Ruby looked around to see what she can use to fight back, and noticed she was laying in a pile of dirt.

"Here's a Sand Attack of my own!" said Ruby, grabbed a handful of dirt and throwing it at the Krookodile, causing it to temporarily go blind. Ruby got up and started running away again.

"Enough of this!" said Torchwick. "Krookodile, Earthquake now!"

The Krookodile powered up its strength, lifted one leg off the ground, and stomped it as hard as he could, causing the entire landscape to start shaking. Ruby fell down along with everyone else in the area. The Earthquake also caused the Kakunas to fall from the tree. Seeing the Kakunas get disturbed, the trapped Vespiquen started releasing a strong pheromone at the Kakunas. Torchwick went over to Ruby and lifted her up with the hook of his cane.

"Time you learn what happens when you mess with Roman Torchwick!" said Torchwick. Before he can do anything, all the Kakunas from the tree started to glow, catching everyone's attention. Once Blake saw what was going on, she knew they were in trouble.

"Everybody get out of here now!" shouted Blake.

"I'm not leaving until I get my honey!" responded Torchwick.

"If you don't leave now you're going to get killed!"

"What are you talking about?"

The glowing Kakunas began to break apart, and out of their shells emerged their ultimate evolution, Beedrill. There had to be at least a couple dozen of them. Everyone was starting to become worried about what was going to happen next.

"Oh," said Torchwick. "That's why."

Two of the Beedrill freed their queen from her trap. The angry Vespiquen let out a loud buzz, signaling her colony to attack everyone in sight. As soon as the Beedrills started swarming, everyone started running for their lives.

"Where you do think you're running off to?" yelled Torchwick as he was running with the rest of the White Fang. "You need to go back and get our honey!"

"With all due respect sir," said the White Fang grunt, "I'd rather NOT be doing that!"

"If you don't go back and get that honey, I'll be in trouble, which means you'll be in trouble as well!"

"Then I quit!" shouted the grunt as all of them continued running away from the Beedrills giving chase.

Meanwhile, Ruby was trying to run away while Blake stayed behind.

"Blake!" yelled Ruby. "What do I do?"

"Just run as far away as you can!" said Blake. "I'll try to fight off as many as I can!"

Greninja tried to gather the Beedrills' attention to draw them away from Ruby. One of them flew past Greninja and chased Ruby into the forest.

"Eevee, are any of them still chasing us?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"All right then. Hang on tight Eevee; time for me to reenact 5th period gym class!"

Ruby put all her strength into her legs and started sprinting super fast, jumping over every fallen branch along the way. Ruby was starting to get a good distance away from the Beedrill until she tripped over a rock and fell to the ground hard. The force of her decent caused Eevee to fly out of her backpack and tumble across the ground. As Eevee was getting up, the Beedrill had caught up to them and set its sights on Eevee. Eevee looked up at the Beedrill, too scared to make a move. Ruby looked up and saw the Beedrill getting ready to attack Eevee.

"Eevee, run!" yelled Ruby, but Eevee was too scared to listen. Beedrill placed its needles together and dived at Eevee. With Eevee just standing there shaking in fear, Ruby got up as quickly as she could and jumped towards Eevee. She grabbed Eevee and rolled out of the way; the Beedrill missed Ruby by less than an inch. Ruby stood back up and started running, carrying Eevee in her arms. She hid behind a tree as the Beedrill searched for Ruby.

"I don't think we're going to be able to outrun that Beedrill," said Ruby. Ruby looked around and saw a tree with a giant hole in its trunk. Ruby went up to the tree and placed Eevee inside.

"Okay Eevee, I need you to listen real carefully. I want you to stay in this tree so the Beedrill doesn't find you. At least that way one of us will make it out alive."

"Eevee?" responded Eevee, worried about what Ruby was going to do herself.

"I'm going to distract the Beedrill, and Eevee, no matter what happens, don't get out of this tree, okay?"

Eevee wanted to protest until they heard the sound of a Beedrill buzzing by. Ruby turned around and called for the Beedrill's attention.

"Hey Beedrill! Looking for me?" shouted Ruby. The Beedrill turned to Ruby and started chasing her. Eevee poked out of the tree to see the Beedrill going after Ruby. It was only going to be a matter of time before Ruby would get exhausted and the Beedrill would attack her. For the second time in her short life, Eevee was about to lose another trainer.

She couldn't remember why her first trainer decided to let her go; she couldn't even remember her trainer's face. She only remembered being dropped off at the Pokémon Center and the trainer deciding never to return. Was it because Eevee was weak? Did the trainer simply not like Eevee? Whatever the reason, Eevee was now alone and afraid.

Then just yesterday she met Ruby, and grew attached to her in the short time they knew each other. At least until that battle with Deino. Even if Ruby meant well, she still allowed Eevee to get hurt, and now she couldn't trust Ruby with keeping her safe from harm. The only reason Eevee didn't run away was because she wasn't strong enough to live on her own. Now with that Beedrill going after Ruby, it looked like Eevee was going to be abandoned yet again, this time because Ruby was willing to put her Pokémon's safety before her own.

Because Ruby knew Eevee wasn't strong enough to fight back.

_"At least that way one of us will make it out alive."_

No, thought Eevee. She wasn't going to lose a second trainer. Not this way. Eevee jumped out of the hole and headed to where she last saw Ruby and Beedrill run to.

Ruby had tried running, hiding, and even throwing small rocks at the Beedrill, but it was hopeless. With Ruby exhausted, she sat down and laid against a tree to gather her strength back. She wouldn't have enough time however as the Beedrill found Ruby and hovered over her. Ruby was done for. With nowhere to run, she was now a sitting duck for the Beedrill. The Beedrill raised its arms and dive-bombed at Ruby. Ruby closed her eyes and prayed for some kind of miracle to save her.

Seeing her master in danger, Eevee ran and jumped at the Beedrill, tackling it from the side and knocking it away from Ruby. The Beedrill fell to the ground as Eevee stood tall, ready to strike again.

"Eevee, you saved me!" said Ruby, crawling over and hugging Eevee. "I knew you really cared about me!"

Ruby's celebration was short lived, as the Beedrill got back up and had its sights set on Ruby and Eevee. Ruby stood back up and wanted to run away, but looked down and noticed Eevee with a determined look on her face. It was as if Eevee was begging to fight Beedrill.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, confirming she was ready for a fight.

"All right Eevee, let's do this together!" Ruby pointed towards Beedrill with the same determined look. "Prepare to be captured Beedrill! Eevee, Tackle attack!"

Eevee charged full speed at Beedrill. Beedrill took to the air to dodge Eevee's attack, then came rushing down and thrust its needles for a Fury Attack. Eevee quickly dodged left and right to avoid getting hit. Beedrill then quickly use its stringer to hit Eevee with a Poison Sting. Eevee took some damage but thankfully wasn't poisoned.

"That Beedrill attacks really fast. Eevee, try blinding it with Sand Attack!" Beedrill took the air again and dive-bombed at Eevee. Eevee turned around and use its hind legs to kick up sand and blind Beedrill. Beedrill still attempted to use its Fury Attack, but can barely see and just started swinging wildly.

"Its blind Eevee! Move in now!" Eevee ran after Beedrill and hit its Tackle attack. The Beedrill took the full force of the hit as it still couldn't see. Eevee moved in for another Tackle, landing a second hit. Eevee tried to go for a third Tackle, but Beedrill suddenly regained its eyesight and thrust both its needles at Eevee, striking Eevee with its Twin Needle attack. The attack caught Eevee off guard and sent it tumbling across the ground.

"Eevee!" Ruby ran towards Eevee, thinking Eevee was too hurt to battle. "Are you okay?"

Eevee slowly got up and nodded to Ruby to assure her she was okay. Beedrill took the air and began to concentrate. Ruby took out her Pokédex to find out what Beedrill was up to.

"Beedrill will sometimes use Focus Energy," said Penny, "a move that allows Beedrill to land critical hits on their foes."

"Okay Eevee, we need to time this right! We've only got one chance to beat this pest!"

Eevee looked up at Beedrill, waiting for it to come down. Beedrill looked down, placed its needles in front of itself, and then came down for one final attack on Eevee. Eevee waited for Ruby to give the signal before making their move.

"Now!" shouted Ruby as the Beedrill was nearly a foot away from hitting Eevee. Eevee jumped out of the way as Beedrill crashed into the ground, burying it needles into the earth. Beedrill was struggling to free itself from the ground.

"Okay Eevee, finish it off!" Eevee ran with everything she had and Tackled Beedrill head on, landing a critical blow. The force of the Tackle freed Beedrill but it was moot as Beedrill flopped to the ground, barely having the strength to get up. With Beedrill unable to move, Ruby took out one of her Poké Balls.

"I hope this works!" Ruby threw the ball at Beedrill. The ball opened up and transported the Beedrill inside. The ball landed on the ground and started to shake. After a few seconds of shaking, the ball made a loud click noise to confirm a successful capture. Ruby smiled and jumped with glee.

"We did it Eevee!" shouted Ruby. "We caught our first Pokémon!" Ruby ran over and picked up Eevee. Eevee was also shouting with joy at winning her first major battle. Ruby walked over and picked up the ball containing Beedrill.

"It's kind of funny. This Beedrill was nearly going to kill us, and now it's part of our family. But we'll still treat this Beedrill with love, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee. As they were admiring their latest catch, Blake had caught up to them.

"Oh hey Blake," said Ruby.

"Ruby, you're okay?" asked Blake. "What happened to the Beedrill chasing you?"

"I caught it with the help of my Eevee," said Ruby, holding up the ball containing Beedrill. Blake was surprised to see Ruby actually catching it rather than running away.

"Guess I was wrong about you," said Blake. "Looks like Eevee really does respect you as a trainer."

"No, you were right. I was a bad trainer, but now I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Then you won't be needing my help. Take care Ruby."

"Wait a minute, what happened to the Beedrills and the White Fang?"

"The Beedrills calmed down, and unfortunately the White Fang escaped, but more importantly all the honey is safe. My work is done here."

"You know Blake, if you need help fighting these White Fang goons, you can always call me for help."

"I appreciate that, but this something I have to do on my own. Until we meet again."

Blake jumped up to the closet branch and quickly ran out of sight. Ruby wondered why Blake seemed to be obsessed with stopping the White Fang by herself, but figured she could find out the next time they met.

"C'mon Eevee, let's get out of this forest already," said Ruby, picking up Eevee to place in her backpack, but Eevee wriggled out and instead wanted to walk by her side.

"Oh, you want to walk with me instead?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"I'm glad. To be honest you were starting to get really heavy."

Eevee lightly headbutt Ruby in the leg, not appreciating Ruby possibly calling her fat. Both of them laughed it off and started to find their way out of the forest.

#

With the White Fang failing their mission on obtaining the Vespiquen's honey, Torchwick dreaded having to call the boss to let them know what happened.

"Hello, boss? It's Roman. So, about the honey. We may have had some interference with-" Torchwick's boss didn't waste time yelling at him for screwing up the mission. "Well how was I supposed to know some random trainers were going to show-" His boss continued yelling at him and let him know the consequences of failing again. "Yes, of course. I won't screw up again." Torchwick hung up and massaged his forehead to get rid of the headache he received from all the yelling.

"That little red is going to pay for this."

#

Using the map on her dex, Ruby and Eevee traveled on the path that would lead them out. Suddenly, a Fletchling jumped out of the bush and got in their path. "I think we can use a Fletchling on our team. What do you think Eevee?"

Eevee nodded and got in front of Ruby, ready to fight Fletchling. After a quick battle, Eevee triumphed over Fletchling. Ruby threw her ball and captured Fletchling, adding one more Pokémon to the team.

"Good job Eevee!" said Ruby. "We keep this up we'll have a strong team in no time!"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee.

Ruby and Eevee finally made it out of the forest, but before they can take a breather, they were approached by a trainer wielding a bug catching net.

"Hey you!" shouted the trainer. "You're a trainer, right? I challenge you to a battle!"

"A battle huh?" asked Ruby. "What do you say Eevee? Up for a couple more battles?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee enthusiastically. Eevee ran in front as the trainer let out their first Pokémon.

They may have had a bumpy start, but Ruby and Eevee were finally working together as a true team. It wouldn't be long before they would have their next big challenge: Ruby's first gym badge.


	3. The Despondent Rookie! Ruby vs Jaune

"Now Fletchling, Quick Attack!" said Ruby. Fletchling quickly charged at Pidgey and rammed into it, knocking it out. Another successful victory for Fletchling. "All right Fletchling!"

Before Ruby can call Fletchling back, Fletchling started to glow in a bright light, meaning Fletchling had now powered up enough to evolve into its next form, Fletchinder. Ruby pumped her arms up in excitement. Before heading into Amarillo City for her first badge, Ruby decided to spend a lot of time battling every wild Pokémon and trainer in the area she came across. She wanted to make sure that her team was more than ready to fight whoever she would be challenging.

With Eevee, Beedrill, and her newly acquired Fletchinder all getting a boost of strength from their training, Ruby felt now was the time to win badge number one.

#

Amarillo City was a pretty small city compared to others in Vale. The only thing notable about the city was that it was usually the first stop most trainers visited to earn their first badge. Ruby decided she would head to the Pokémon center first to make sure her team was 100%, then head to the gym to win her first badge.

As Ruby walked towards the center, she noticed the gym along the way.

"Wouldn't hurt to know who I'm up against," said Ruby. Ruby walked to the gym and was about to enter inside when the doors opened up as a familiar looking ice queen was exiting. Ruby was immediately regretting her decision as Weiss noticed Ruby outside.

"Ruby?" said Weiss. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to earn my first badge," said Ruby. "Why else would I be here?"

"You mean you actually decided to become a trainer even after I embarrassed you at Beacon? Aww, bless your little heart!" Weiss made sure to say that last line as condescending as she could, making Ruby's blood boil. Even Eevee was growling at Weiss.

"Make fun of me all you want Weiss, but you won't be laughing once I get my first badge!"

"You mean this badge?" said Weiss, pulling out the badge she had just won. It was in the shape of a yellow crescent moon.

"You already won your first badge?"

"Of course I did! After all, the Schnee family motto is 'A Schnee Never Loses!' Winning this badge was effortless, especially with the leader they've got in this city. He uses Normal types of all things!"

"What's wrong with Normal type Pokémon?"

"Nothing if you don't mind using the most weakest, useless Pokémon there is! You should know firsthand how worthless Normal types are, isn't that right?"

Eevee growled louder at Weiss, knowing well she was the Pokémon being insulted. Ruby was starting to growl like Eevee and was resisting her urge to just punch Weiss in the face.

"Well, I've wasted enough time here. I'm off to go win the rest of my badges. Good luck Ruby, although even a dunce like you can't lose in this gym."

As soon as Weiss was gone, Ruby and Eevee let out a sigh of relief. "C'mon Eevee, let's go cool off at the Pokémon Center."

#

Ruby arrived at the Pokémon Center and dropped off her Pokémon. Since her Pokémon only needed a touch-up, it would take about ten minutes for them to be fully ready. Ruby decided to kill time in the lounge until then.

"Maybe I'll give Yang a call," thought Ruby. She pulled out her dex and was about to call Yang when she noticed a young man sitting in the lounge looking pretty upset with himself. He had his hands folded over his head and was just staring at the floor mumbling to himself. Ruby decided to put her call on hold and took a seat next to the kid.

"Are you okay?" asked Ruby. The kid sat up and turned to Ruby.

"I'm miserable," replied the kid. "Thanks for asking."

"I'm sorry, did you want to be alone?" said Ruby, about to get up and leave.

"Wait, don't go! I'm sorry, I'm just really upset right now. I can really use someone to talk to."

"No problem. I'm Ruby Rose." Ruby held her out for a handshake; the kid gave a slight smile and shook Ruby's hand.

"I'm Jaune Arc."

"So Jaune, what are you so upset about?"

"I just lost another battle. I'm waiting for my Pokémon to recover."

"I know how upsetting it is to lose a battle - trust me, I've felt the same way you did - but you'll get better."

"I doubt that. This is like the thirtieth time in a row I've lost!"

_"Wow," _thought Ruby._ "He lost thirty times in a row? And I thought I was upset after losing just one."_

"Well, okay, so you lost thirty times in a row. You'll just have to work hard to make sure you don't lose thirty-one times in a row!"

"I doubt that. I think I'm just destined to lose every battle I get myself into."

"Now c'mon, there has to be at least one person you can beat. In fact, you should try challenging the gym leader here! I heard they're really easy to beat! Even someone like you should be able to be them!"

"Sounds like a good idea, except there's one problem."

"What is it?"

"That gym leader you heard can be beaten by anyone? That...leader is me."

Ruby felt surprised and awkward for what Jaune just said. Not only was Jaune on a losing streak, he was also the gym leader that Weiss had claimed was incredibly easy to beat and Ruby accidentally insulted. Ruby wanted to pity Jaune, yet at the same time wondered how a kid who lost thirty times in a row was doing being a gym leader of all things.

"You probably want to face me now so you can earn a badge like everyone else," said Jaune. "As soon as my Pokémon are ready we'll get it over with."

Ruby could tell that Jaune was definitely not in the mood for battle, and Ruby didn't want to fight him in this state. It would be like kicking the man while he was down. "Actually Jaune, why don't we put off our battle?"

"You don't want to face me yet?"

"Nah. Why rush? Let's kill some time together before we face each other. Want to get something to eat?"

"Are you...asking me out on a date?"

"What? No, nothing like that!" Ruby was embarrassed at what Jaune was thinking. "I mean I know it sounds like a date but it's not-"

"No, I get it!" Jaune was now embarrassed at what he said. "Just two friends hanging out! Not a date! Sorry I even brought it up!"

"I'm sorry I didn't make it clearer!"

"You don't need to be sorry, I'm already sorry!"

"I'm sorry you have to be sorry!"

The two quickly went quiet before one of them said anything to make the other feel more embarrassed than they already were.

"We should just stop talking," said Jaune.

"Agreed," said Ruby.

Ruby picked up her Pokémon and left the center with Jaune.

#

Ruby and Jaune stopped by a café for a quick meal. Jaune kept quiet as he was drinking his coffee, tapping his fingers against his glass, not exactly sure what he wanted to talk about. With Jaune keeping to himself, Ruby decided to break the ice.

"So Jaune...I heard you use Normal types in your gym."

"I do," said Jaune. "Go ahead and laugh; everyone else does."

"I actually think that's quite admirable of you to use Normal types."

"Really? You don't think it's weird or pathetic that I decide to use Normal types in my gym?"

"Why not use Normal types? I mean just because they don't have any type advantages doesn't mean they're useless, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee, jumping up into Ruby's lap. Jaune smiled and began to speak up.

"See, that's what I keep telling everyone. Most people think Normal Pokémon aren't special just because they don't have fancy moves or abilities. But I think every Pokémon is special in their own way; you just have to find out what makes them special."

"So what makes your Pokémon special?"

"Well...I haven't quite figured it out yet," said Jaune, going back to feeling down again. "If I did I wouldn't be losing every single one of my battles."

Eevee suddenly jumped out of Ruby's lap on to the table. Eevee walked over to Jaune and rubbed her head against his arm, trying to cheer him up.

"Aww, thanks Eevee," said Jaune, rubbing Eevee's head. "So Ruby, how long have you been a trainer?"

"A few days now," said Ruby. "Eevee was my very first Pokémon."

"Really? I would of thought you'd choose one of those elemental starters they give out to new trainers."

"It was tempting, but as soon as I laid my eyes on Eevee, I didn't want anyone else."

"So what are you going to evolve Eevee into?"

"Evolve my Eevee?"

"Yeah. Most people evolve their Eevee to the type of their choice. You've got the three that could evolve by stone: Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon; then you've got the ones that evolve from climates: Glaceon and Leafeon; then you've got the ones that evolve from happiness: Espeon and Umbreon. None of those interest you?"

"Not really. Quite frankly I'd be happy to just keep Eevee the way she is unless she really wants to evolve; what do you think Eevee?"

Eevee turned back to Ruby and shook her head. She was perfectly content to remain an Eevee.

"Or maybe if you're really lucky," said Jaune, "it'll evolve into that new one I've heard rumors about."

"There's a new Eevee evolution?" asked Ruby.

"Well, it's only rumors for now, but I've heard there's been this new Pokémon sighted that people are claiming is somehow related to Eevee. They call it a Sylveon."

Ruby took out her Pokédex and searched the database for Sylveon. A picture came up of a fox like creature with ribbons tied around its neck and forehead. It certainly looked like something Eevee can evolve into.

"Penny, tell me more about this Sylveon."

"I'm afraid I can't offer much information," said Penny. "Sylveon is still considered newly discovered. It is speculated that they are Fairy type Pokémon, but how they are linked to Eevee is currently unknown."

"If you evolve Eevee into Sylveon," said Jaune, "you can be known as the trainer who discovered the secret."

"That would be cool," said Ruby, "but I've already got plans to be known as the trainer who becomes the new Vale region champion."

"That's great; certainly better than what I'm going to be known for."

Jaune sighed and looked down at his coffee again. It was as if he was in a perpetual state of self-loathing. Ruby didn't want to make it any of her business, but she was sick of Jaune constantly being down in the dumps over his losing streak.

"You know Jaune, it is a bit odd for a gym leader to lose so many times in a row. But you can't be that bad of a trainer if you were able to become a gym leader. I heard gym leaders have to pass some rigorous exams in order to qualify for the position."

"Ruby, can I be honest with you?"

"Sure you can."

"It's true that a trainer has to earn their certification from the region's professional league in order to be a gym leader. But the thing is...I never took those exams."

The revelation was quite a shock to Ruby, although it certainly explained why Jaune was so bad. "Then how did you get to be the gym leader here?"

"The reason I'm a gym leader is...my dad helped me get this position. My dad decided to retire and insisted I take over his gym. Thanks to his connections I didn't have to pass an exam to take over. I just got put on the spot."

"So you just got the position even though you had no experience as a trainer?"

"I had experience as a trainer before, but even back then I was terrible at it. I tried to go out and be a trainer just like everyone else, but no matter what I did I could never beat other people. I didn't even earn my first badge before I decided to call it quits."

"Well Jaune, you're not going to be a good trainer if you just keep giving up every time you lose! Instead of crying and moaning about never winning, you should try looking into how you can improve yourself in battle!"

"Well maybe I don't WANT to be battling in the first place!" yelled Jaune, slamming his cup on the table and spilling his coffee all over.

Jaune realized he was starting to make a scene, so he got up and left the café. Ruby quickly cleaned up the mess and followed Jaune outside. Jaune lied face down in the middle of the road. Ruby poked at Jaune's sides with her foot to see if he would be bothered to turn around and look up.

"Leave me alone Ruby. A trainer like me doesn't deserve help."

"I'm not going to leave you alone until I know why you're a gym leader when you just admitted you don't like battling."

Jaune sighed and rolled himself over to look up at Ruby. "Because even though I was awful at battling, I really like raising Pokémon; but I don't know what I wanted to do with myself. I decided to take up the gym leader position because at least I'd have a job and my dad wouldn't get mad at me for doing nothing with my life."

"Jaune, if you don't feel like being a gym leader is for you, then you need to quit. Instead of taking up the position and doing something you hate, tell your dad the truth and do something you love."

"Yeah, I'm sure my dad would LOVE to hear me decide to quit so I can find myself."

"Would you rather he heard you decided to quit, or that ever since you became the gym leader you lost thirty times in a row?"

"So I'll keep losing until I'm fired. At least that way I can stave off my execution."

That's it, thought Ruby. If Jaune wasn't going to be the one who would stand up and do what he needed to do, Ruby was going to force him to.

"Jaune, before we battle, I want to make a bet."

"What kind of bet?"

"If you beat me, I'll give up being a trainer for good."

"And if you beat me, I give up being a gym leader, right?"

"There's more. Not only do you quit being a gym leader...you come along with me until we find your true calling!"

Hearing this caused Jaune to stand back up. "You want me to come with you?"

"Yep! You call your dad, tell him you're stepping down as gym leader, and you're going to travel with me until we can figure out what your true calling is!"

"No deal," said Jaune. "I'm not going to get myself killed because you're trying to help."

"Well then, it was nice meeting you Jaune," said Ruby, before walking off.

"Wait, what? You're just going to leave?"

"Yeah. No point in making you feel more of a loser than you already are. I'll go earn my first badge against someone who isn't a spineless coward. Maybe they'll even have Pokémon who aren't useless weaklings."

Jaune was called a lot of things. Weak, dumb, loser, incompetent, useless...but the "spineless coward" comment really got to him. Even when he knew he was a bad trainer, at least he had the guts to fight any challenger that came to his gym. He wasn't going to let Ruby get away with calling him a coward, especially since she was so confident in winning she would retire herself if she lost.

"I accept!" shouted Jaune.

Ruby stopped and turned to face Jaune. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."

"I said I accept! But you have to promise that if I win...WHEN I win, you give up being a trainer!"

"Trainer's honor!" said Ruby, holding her hand up. Eevee held up her front paw as well.

"See you in the gym," said Jaune, running back to the center to pick up his Pokémon and get everything ready for their bout.

#

Ruby entered the gym for her battle against Jaune. After filling out her forms at the front desk, Ruby entered into the gym's arena, which was very plain looking. The floor was solid dirt like an outdoor sports area; the right side had a giant monitor to display the trainers and their Pokémon, while the left side had bleachers for spectators to sit and enjoy the battles. With Jaune's losing streak reputation however, the bleachers were empty as usual. Jaune stood at the other side of the arena, folding his arms and trying to look intimidating, which even if Ruby didn't know about Jaune's losing streak, would fail to even intimidate a child.

"Because you have no badges, our battle will consist of using two Pokémon each! Your dream of being Pokémon champion ends here Ruby Rose!"

"If I lose to someone like you, I wouldn't deserve to be champion anyway."

The monitor counted down to the official start of the match. Once the signal was given, both trainers threw out their first Pokémon. Jaune started with his Dunsparce, while Ruby started with her Fletchinder.

"All right Dunsparce, time to start with Rollout!" said Jaune. The Dunsparce curled into a ball and charged at Fletchinder.

"Fletchinder, Agility!" said Ruby. Fletchinder concentrated and boosted its speed. As Dunsparce bounced up to hit Fletchinder, Fletchinder dodged the attack with ease.

"Keep going Dunsparce!" The Dunsparce turned around and aimed for Fletchinder again.

"Keep dodging Fletchinder!" Every time Dunsparce bounced up to attack Fletchinder in mid-air, Fletchinder would fly even higher. Dunsparce tried again for a third and fourth time, going even higher than its last two attempts. Dunsparce powered up and went for a Rollout one last time. Fletchinder tried to fly up but bumped into the ceiling. Without any more room to fly, Dunsparce nailed a direct hit on Fletchinder, dealing heavy damage to Fletchinder. Fletchinder crashed to the ground, losing a lot of health from that attack.

"Guess my Pokémon aren't weaklings after all, huh Ruby?" boasted Jaune.

"It takes more than one good attack to win a fight Jaune!" replied Ruby. "Fletchinder, Quick Attack!"

Fletchinder got back up and flew at an incredibly fast speed at Dunsparce, striking it quickly with its wing as it flew by.

"Dunsparce, strike back with Pursuit!" Dunsparce waited for Fletchinder to strike again, then thrust its drill tail at Fletchinder. The Fletchinder was too fast for Dunsparce however and struck it again with another Quick Attack.

"Seems your Dunsparce is a bit too slow to finish the job," said Ruby.

"Yeah?" said Jaune. "It's still stronger than your bird! Dunsparce, time for another Rollout!"

"Seriously?" asked Ruby. Jaune ignored Ruby as Dunsparce curled into a ball and charged at Fletchinder. Fletchinder flew back into the air to avoid Dunsparce's first attempt.

"Running away again Ruby? Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Of course I remember. In fact, I've seen Rollout happen so many times I've already figured out how to counter it."

"Counter Rollout? How?"

Dunsparce missed Fletchinder for a third time, landed back on the ground, then geared up and jumped up for a fourth attempt.

"Fletchinder, fire your Ember towards that way!" said Ruby, pointing to where Dunsparce was about to land. Fletchinder dodged Dunsparce and shot a small flame to the ground where Dunsparce was about to land and sure enough, Dunsparce landed in the flames and got burned by the attack, causing it to roll around in the dirt to put out the fire, putting an end to its Rollout. Jaune was in disbelief that his Rollout suddenly failed.

"I can't believe that didn't...I mean, HA!" said Jaune, trying to hide his disbelief. "Don't think you've won just yet! Dunsparce, time to start digging boy!"

Dunsparce spun it's drill tail and borrowed into the ground. Fletchinder flew around trying to find out where Dunsparce was hiding.

_"With Dunsparce underground, that Fletchinder has no idea where Dunsparce will pop up, and the time Dunsparce does, it will already be too late!"_ thought Jaune. He looked at Ruby who was confused as to what Jaune was up to. Jaune smirked, thinking he definitely had Ruby cornered.

"Now Dunsparce!" yelled Jaune. The Dunsparce popped out and launched at Fletchinder tail first. Jaune thought his attack would work, but the Dunsparce missed reaching Fletchinder by over a foot. Jaune was dumbfounded as to how his brilliant strategy backfired horribly.

"Fletchinder, Peck attack!" said Ruby. Fletchinder reared its head back, then thrust forward and jabbed Dunsparce in the face with its beak. The Dunsparce fell to the ground, knocked out by Fletchinder's attack. The monitor gave the signal to indicate Dunsparce was officially eliminated.

"How did that not work?" asked Jaune, calling back his Dunsparce.

"Jaune, you do know Dig is a Ground type attack, right?" said Ruby.

"What does that matter?"

"Jaune, Ground attacks don't work against Flying Pokémon! How could you not know that?"

Jaune just shrugged his shoulders, honestly having no idea why he didn't know something that would seem obvious to any other trainer in the world.

"Jaune, if these are the kind of mistakes you keep making, it's no wonder you lose all the time!"

"So I made one mistake! I've still got one more Pokémon to help make my comeback! Let's go Raticate!" Jaune tossed out his ball, releasing his signature Pokémon, Raticate. The Raticate made a loud hissing noise at Ruby and Fletchinder.

"Jaune, even if you used a hundred Pokémon, you can't win if you don't even know the basics of battling."

"So I forgot Ground doesn't work on Flying! What I do remember is your Fletchinder is on the verge of defeat, and Raticate is going to finish it off! Raticate, Quick Attack!"

"Fletchinder, use Quick Attack back!"

Raticate and Fletchinder charged at each other, striking each other with their attacks again and again, both taking the same amount of damage against each other.

"Fletchinder, Peck attack!" Fletchinder charged at Raticate and got ready to jab it in the head with its beak.

"Raticate, Hyper Fang!" As Fletchinder went to jab Raticate, Raticate opened its mouth wide and bit down on Fletchinder's head, driving its fangs deep into Fletchinder's neck.

"Fletchinder! Get out of there!" Fletchinder tried to run away, but Raticate's bite was too strong for Fletchinder to escape from, causing Fletchinder's health to dwindle down to zero. The monitor signaled that Fletchinder had fainted and couldn't continue. Raticate let go of Fletchinder, its job done.

"We're even now!" said Jaune. "Just one more easy victory like that and your career is over! Better pick your next Pokémon wisely!"

"I know exactly who I'm going to use," said Ruby, turning to her Eevee standing behind her. "Ready for your first gym victory Eevee?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, running past Ruby and entering the battlefield. Raticate hissed loudly at Eevee, but Eevee wasn't going to be scared by a giant rat and his ugly teeth.

"How appropriate! A final battle between two Normal types! Raticate, Quick attack!"

"Eevee, Quick Attack!"

Raticate and Eevee ran after each other, colliding in the middle of the field. Raticate and Eevee stood head to head, each trying to overpower the other.

"Raticate, Bite attack!" Raticate opened its mouth and tried to bite Eevee quickly. Eevee backed up before Raticate can sink its teeth into Eevee. Raticate kept going after Eevee as Eevee kept jumping back to avoid getting bitten.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee turned around and kicked sand into Raticate using its hind legs. Raticate backed up and shook its head wildly, trying to get the sand out of its eye. "Now Eevee, Quick Attack!"

While the Raticate was blinded, Eevee charged fast and struck Raticate head on.

"C'mon Raticate, use Super Fang!" Raticate barely opened its eyes and tried to bite Eevee, but was nowhere close to hitting Eevee.

"Keep using Quick Attack Eevee!" Eevee continued to hit Raticate with its Quick Attack. With no chance of fighting back, the Raticate started to run away from the Eevee. Eevee gave chase to Raticate. As Raticate was running away, it began to regain its eyesight. As soon as Jaune noticed, he ordered Raticate to attack.

"Raticate, Super Fang now!" Raticate turned around and opened its mouth wide, its front fangs glowing brightly. Realizing it was about to strike, Eevee turned around just before she was about to reach Raticate and tried to run away but it was too late. Raticate jumped forward and latched on to Eevee's tail, biting down as hard as it could, causing Eevee to let out a loud yelp.

"Eevee!" shouted Ruby. Raticate let go of Eevee's tail. Eevee collapsed to the ground, feeling her energy drain quickly.

"Hey Ruby," said Jaune, "since you're so smart, do you what half of 100% is? Because thanks to Super Fang, that's exactly what Eevee's strength is at! Just a couple more good bites and you're finished!"

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee got back up and kicked sand at Raticate. Raticate jumped to the side to avoid being blinded again.

"Raticate, Bite attack!" Raticate jumped forward and dug its front fangs onto Eevee's forehead, causing Eevee to flinch back. Before Eevee could react, Raticate bit Eevee over and over again. Eevee tried to run but fell to the ground. "Now Raticate, finish it off with Hyper Fang!"

Raticate opened up and sunk its teeth onto Eevee's tail. Eevee screamed in pain as it tried to get out of Raticate's grip, but Raticate wouldn't let go. If Ruby didn't think of something quick, Jaune was going to pull a major upset.

_"That Raticate is relentless! No matter what it just keeps attacking over and over...wait a minute, that's it!"_

"Ready to give up Ruby?" asked Jaune. "It doesn't look like your Eevee can handle much more of this!"

"Give up?" replied Ruby. "I'm about to win this battle!"

"You're bluffing!"

"Watch me! Eevee, use your Baby-Doll Eyes!"

Eevee stopped screaming and turned to face Raticate. Eevee looked at Raticate with a cute yet teary-eyed stare. Looking at Eevee's sad eyes, Raticate was suddenly struck with guilt from the pain it was putting Eevee through.

"Don't look at her eyes Raticate!" yelled Jaune. "Finish her off!"

"Eevee?" muttered Eevee, pleading with Raticate to let go. Raticate tried to obey Jaune, but Eevee's eyes were too much for Raticate to handle, and released its grip on Eevee's tail.

"Now Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee stood right back up and kicked sand into Raticate's eyes, causing it to go blind again. Raticate was angered it had fallen for Eevee's trick.

"Raticate, use your Hyper Fang again!" Raticate, now focused on defeating Eevee, leapt at Eevee with its fangs. Being blinded by sand however, Raticate completely missed its target.

"Eevee, Sand Attack again!" Eevee continued kicking sand at Raticate. Raticate blindly tried to bite Eevee, failing to do so no matter where Raticate went. Jaune was starting to lose his cool at seeing Raticate miss every time.

"Raticate, Bite! Super Fang! Do something!"

"Your Raticate has strong attacks Jaune," said Ruby. "Sadly, strong attacks are all you seemed to have taught it, giving Raticate a poor move pool. With Raticate's accuracy at near zero thanks to my Eevee's Sand Attack, its moves are now useless!"

"Impossible! Raticate, hit that Eevee already!"

Raticate continued to try biting Eevee, but as Ruby pointed out, every one of Raticate's attacks failed to land on Eevee.

"All right Eevee, let's end this! Swift attack!" Eevee summoned energy stars around her and launched them at Raticate, nailing a direct hit.

"Raticate, run away!" said Jaune. "Stall for as long as you can!"

"It's no use," said Ruby. "Swift's specialty is that it homes in on the opponent, meaning it will never miss no matter where your Raticate runs off to!"

"But if I can never hit you but you can always hit me, that means..."

"Time to retire Jaune! Eevee, Swift attack!"

Eevee kept shooting stars at Raticate, helpless to fight back. It wasn't long until Raticate was no longer able to battle. The monitor signaled the end of the match, indicating Ruby was the victor. Ruby ran over and picked up Eevee.

"We did it Eevee! We won our first badge!"

"Yeah, you sure did," said Jaune, not even trying to hide how brittle he sounded. He called back Raticate and went up to Ruby. "Congrats Ruby. As leader of the Amarillo City gym..." Jaune could barely finish before shedding some tears. He was always upset after a loss, but this one was worse, because now he was forced to do what he had tried to put off for as long as could. Ruby went up to accept her badge and cheer Jaune up.

"Jaune, believe me, you're going to be okay. We just need to find something you're good at."

"But what if I'm not good at anything? What if I'm just as bad at everything else as I am at battling?"

" Jaune, remember when you said that every Pokémon is special in their own way, you just have to find out what makes them special? We'll find what makes you special eventually, even if takes me my entire journey and then some."

Jaune wiped the tears from his face and smiled. "Thanks Ruby. As I was saying, as leader of the Amarillo City gym, I hereby award you the Crocea badge for your victory!"

Jaune pulled out the Crocea badge and handed it to Ruby. Ruby attached the badge to the right strap of her backpack. One down, seven to go.

#

Ruby waited in the Pokémon Center as Jaune made the phone call to his dad explaining how he didn't want to be the gym leader anymore. Ruby couldn't hear what Jaune's dad was saying on the other end, but Jaune was very quiet as he listened to everything his father said.

"Yes dad, I'm absolutely sure this is what I want to do," said Jaune. Jaune was quiet for another few minutes. Ruby was starting to get worried Jaune's dad was mad at him. "I understand. All right; bye." Jaune hung up.

"Well?" asked Ruby.

"Officially as of now, I am no longer the gym leader of Amarillo City," said Jaune.

"Was your father mad?"

"He's disappointed I'm not going to follow in his footsteps, but he says if I can find my true calling and stick with it, he'll be proud."

"See? I told you it was going to be okay! Now pack your things and lets head out already!"

Jaune went home to pack up everything he would need and set off with Ruby towards their next destination.

"Ruby, are you sure I'm not going to slow you down on your journey?"

"Of course I am. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone to talk to on these long walks besides my Pokémon."

"Eevee!" chimed Eevee, sounding insulted that Ruby didn't like talking to her.

"Oh c'mon Eevee, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant it's nice to talk to someone I can have a conversation with."

Eevee turned her head in disgust, not buying Ruby's excuse for a second. "Eevee, there's no reason to be acting like that!" Eevee continued to ignore Ruby as she walked in front of her. "This isn't funny Eevee! Knock it off!"

As Ruby continued arguing with her uptight Eevee, Jaune smiled to himself. If he wound up never finding a new career, at least the journey itself was going to be fun.


	4. Fighting Spirit Tyrogue

"Don't worry Jaune," said Ruby. "According to the Pokédex, we'll arrive at the Pokémon Center in about five minutes."

Jaune would reply to how grateful he was that they would be arriving at the center, but couldn't speak due to his mouth being wrapped up by String Shot. Along their way to the next city, Ruby decided to try and catch more Pokémon to her collection. Upon encountering a horde of Caterpie, Jaune got the idea of becoming a bug collector and tried to catch a Caterpie on his own, resulting in Caterpie firing its string at Jaune and sealing his mouth. With the string more powerful than duct tape, Jaune's only chance of treatment was to wait until they went to the Pokémon center.

Once they spotted the building in the distance, Jaune immediately ran faster than Ruby into the center. Jaune went straight to the nurse and started begging for help. The nurse could only look at him in confusion since he couldn't actually say anything.

"Sir, are you okay?" asked the nurse. Jaune tried pointing at his mouth and talking slow, but it didn't make things any clearer. Ruby finally arrived to clear things up.

"My friend here got a mouthful of String Shot. Is there anything you can do?"

"Of course," said the nurse. "Come with me to the back."

While Jaune went with the nurse to get treated, Ruby decided to stock up on supplies at the center's market.

"Let's see, I've got potions, Poké Balls, treats...oh, they got technical machines here!" Ruby went over to the TM section to see what moves they had on sale. Upon looking at the prices, she checked her wallet and realized that after all the supplies she needed to buy, she couldn't afford any of them. "Aw nuts. I'm gonna have to call dad again."

Ruby took her supplies and headed to the counter to ask for directions.

"Excuse me sir, do you know how to get to Marrón City?"

"You've got one of two ways," said the man at the counter. "You can take the path just outside the center and keep going that way, or you're feeling brazen, you can go through A-M Cave."

"What's A-M Cave?"

"The Amarillo-Marrón Cave. It's quicker than taking the path, but it's pitch black and full of wild Pokémon, so it's not safe for normal travelers."

"I'm not a normal traveler. I can handle some wild Pokémon."

"I see you're itching to go. Normally I'd help you out, but right now you're better off taking the long route to Marrón City."

"Why? Something wrong with the cave?"

"Word going around is that one Pokémon in particular is causing trouble for everybody in that cave, human and Pokémon alike."

The merchant pointed to a bulletin board next to him. Posted on the wall was a wanted poster for a Pokémon called Tyrogue. Ruby took out her Pokédex to get more information.

_Tyrogue_

_Scuffle Pokémon_

_To brush up on its fighting skills, it will challenge anyone. It has a very strong competitive spirit._

"That thing doesn't look so menacing," said Ruby.

"It may look like a typical Pokémon, but that thing attacks every trainer and Pokémon in sight without a second thought."

"But how is that different than any of the other Pokémon in that cave?"

"See, Pokémon in an environment tend to have respect for each other and the environment they live in. Pokémon may pick fights with each other now and again, but they always make sure to protect the place they call home. This Tyrogue on the other hand isn't from around here, and just tries to fight anybody by any means necessary. Ever since that thing showed up, we've been getting more cases of cave-ins and landslides than normal. If someone doesn't catch this Tyrogue soon, A-M Cave is going to have to be closed permanently."

"Well I'm not going to let some random Pokémon scare me off. I need to capture some strong Pokémon, and maybe this Tyrogue is just the one I need!"

"You're pretty brave to be wanting to go in that cave. Tell you what, I'll help you out." The cashier pulled out a TM and handed it to Ruby. "This is for a move called Flash. Teach this to a Pokémon and they'll light the way for you, so you don't have to waste your scroll's battery power. I'll throw this baby in for free."

"Thanks mister!" said Ruby, taking the CD and smiling.

"Good luck with dealing with that Tyrogue. Take extra precaution now you hear?"

Ruby paid for her goods and headed to the PC in the center to teach one of her Pokémon Flash. Meanwhile, Jaune had the String Shot removed but was feeling sore from the operation.

"Feeling okay Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"It was like ripping off a tight band-aid!" complained Jaune. "It really hurt!"

"Oh don't be such a baby. Anyway, once I'm done here we're heading into A-M Cave."

"A cave? You mean a dark place full of creepy Pokémon? Couldn't we just take the normal way?"

"What's wrong Jaune? Scared of the dark?"

"Yes! Dark places are where all the scariest Pokémon come from!"

"Sorry Jaune, but I'm not going to waste time taking the safe route, and I need stronger Pokémon. Besides, maybe cave exploring could be your calling."

"Okay, I'll come with you. But only because it's never a good idea to go into creepy caves alone."

"My hero," said Ruby sarcastically.

#

Ruby, Eevee, and Jaune entered A-M Cave, and sure enough, it was pitch black the moment they entered the cave. Flying beside them was Ruby's Beedrill, whose eyes were emitting bright red lights to help them get through the cave. Jaune was crept out having to walk alongside a Beedrill.

"Ruby, do we really need to have your Beedrill out like this?" asked Jaune. "These red lights are really freaking me out."

"Sorry Jaune," said Ruby, "but Beedrill was the only Pokémon I had that can learn Flash. Besides, who else is going to protect us from all the 'scary' Pokémon in this cave?"

"I'm telling you, caves are home to the worst Pokémon out there!"

"Jaune, you're really overreacting-"

Suddenly the two of them heard a loud screech nearby. Jaune freaked out and curled up into a ball on the ground. The Beedrill looked around for the source of the noise; it looked up and spotted a Zubat flying around them.

"Get it away, get it away!" cried Jaune.

"It's just a Zubat Jaune," said Ruby. "Beedrill, go take care of it."

The Beedrill swung its needles and took out the Zubat with relative ease. Ruby threw a Poké Ball and caught the Zubat easily, then helped Jaune back up to his feet.

"See Jaune? There's nothing to worry about."

"Heh, I guess you're right." As they kept walking through the cave, Jaune was starting to calm down. "Maybe this cave isn't so bad after-" Jaune suddenly tripped over a rock and fell on his face. "Dang it!"

"Are you okay?" asked Ruby.

"I tripped over this stupid rock!" said Jaune, getting up and trying to kick the rock that caused it to trip, only to get a stubbed toe in return. As Jaune was moaning in pain, the rock suddenly sprouted arms and turned to Jaune. Upon seeing the rock come to life, Jaune started freaking out again.

"AAH! That rock just came to life!"

"It's not a rock Jaune, it's a Geodude. Get'em Beedrill."

Jaune crawled away to safety as Beedrill started fighting Geodude. Beedrill attacked Geodude with its Twin Needle, but did little damage against Geodude. Geodude picked up a rock and threw it at Beedrill, who dodged it and went for another Twin Needle, still doing little damage. Geodude curled up to raise its defense even further.

"This thing has a strong defense. Beedrill, use Poison String!"

The Beedrill raised its poisoned stinger and started to jab the Geodude repeatedly. Although the move would barely do any damage, Ruby was hoping that the Geodude would be poisoned to weaken it sufficiently, and sure enough, Geodude started showing signs of being poisoned. The Geodude started moaning as if it was sick. Ruby threw her Poké Ball and captured Geodude.

"Good job Beedrill. That's two for two." Ruby turned to see if Jaune was okay; Jaune laid back against a wall and was tightly holding on to Eevee for comfort, who wasn't liking Jaune's death grip.

"I told you!" said Jaune. "I told you caves have the worst kind of Pokémon!"

"Jaune, caves are not creepy. You need just to watch where you're going. Now c'mon, we still have more exploring to do."

"Fine, but I'm holding on to Eevee!"

"Eevee?" said Eevee, not wanting to have to be assigned as Jaune's babysitter.

"All right, you can hold on to Eevee if it'll help you get through this cave." Ruby bent down to whisper to Eevee. "Do this for me and I'll reward you with some Poképuffs later, okay?"

Eevee squinted at Ruby and frowned; she wasn't sure delicious treats was going to be enough for this job, but didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

Ruby's party continued to explore the cave, with Jaune walking slowly and holding on to Eevee for moral support. For a while the only Pokémon they came across were Zubats and the occasional Geodude. While her Beedrill was getting some good experience from all the fights, Ruby was getting disappointed by the lack of variety the cave had to offer. She was hoping that before she found the exit she would come across a particularly wanted Pokémon. As they continued exploring the cave, they began to hear something coming out of the wall.

"What's going on?" asked Jaune, panicking and squeezing the life out of Eevee.

"It sounds like something is digging out of the wall," said Ruby. "Beedrill, see if you can find anything."

Beedrill pointed it's Flash brightened eyes at the wall and began searching; in the middle of the wall, rocks and dirt starting falling out as something was emerging from the wall. Ruby was anticipating for something cool, while Jaune was praying for something not scary. What came out was a small Pokémon with an iron head, digging its way out.

"Now that looks like something worth capturing!" Ruby took out her Pokédex to scan her new find.

_Aron_

_Iron Armor Pokémon_

_This Pokémon has a body of steel. To make its body, Aron feeds on iron ore that it digs from mountains._

"Iron armor huh? Sounds exactly like the kind of Pokémon that needs to join Team Ruby!" Ruby grabbed her Poké Ball and called out Fletchinder. Noticing Ruby calling out a Pokémon, the Aron turned to Fletchinder and started charging at it.

"Fletchinder, Ember attack!"

Fletchinder spat a fireball at Aron. The fireball hit Aron in the face and caused it to stop. The Aron tried to use Mud-Slap on Fletchinder, only for Fletchinder to simply fly up and avoid being hit. Fletchinder hit Aron with another Ember, dealing some more damage to Aron. "All right Fletchy, keep it up!" said Ruby. The Aron started to get mad and began gearing up for a Headbutt.

Before it can start its attack, something from the dark suddenly came running in and tackled Aron on its side. The Pokémon grabbed Aron by the head and tried to throw Aron; the Aron shook the Pokémon off and turned its attention to its mystery assailant.

"What is that?" asked Jaune. Beedrill focused its eyes on the mystery Pokémon; it was the wanted Pokémon Tyrogue.

"It's Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Just the one I was looking for!"

Tyrogue tried to Tackle Aron again, only to get a Mud-Slap to the face. As Tyrogue was wiping the mud out of its eyes, the Aron charged at Tyrogue with a Headbutt, causing severe damage to the Tyrogue.

"Better act fast," said Jaune. "If that Aron beats up Tyrogue too badly it'll be impossible to catch."

"Fletchinder, get Aron's attention!" said Ruby. Fletchinder got in front of Aron and started to Peck at it. The pecking barely did any damage but was enough for the Aron to focus back on Fletchinder instead of Tyrogue. Aron starting swiping its Metal Claw at Fletchinder; Fletchinder flew back in order to get the Aron away from Tyrogue.

As Ruby was dealing with Aron, Tyrogue got up and looked around to find something to throw at Aron. He found a boulder lying near the wall; he picked it up and started making his way towards Aron and Fletchinder. Meanwhile, Aron knocked Fletchinder to the ground with its Metal Claw, then rammed into it with a Headbutt. Fletchinder flew back up and fired Ember at Aron. The flames caused Aron to back away from Fletchinder.

"All right Fletchinder, use Quick Attack!" Fletchinder flew quickly at Aron and was about to strike when Tyrogue threw its boulder at them. The boulder almost hit Fletchinder, who thankfully stopped mid-flight before getting seriously hurt. Beedrill turned its eyes on Tyrogue.

"Hey!" shouted Ruby. "You nearly hurt my Fletchinder!"

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, then charged after Fletchinder. Tyrogue tried to jump up and grab Fletchinder, who simply flew up to get away from Tyrogue. Seeing the Pokémon that sucker attacked it, Aron rammed into Tyrogue with a Headbutt. Tyrogue got up and hit Aron with a Fake Out, causing Aron to flinch. He then picked Aron up and rammed it straight through a pillar, causing it to break apart; some of the rocks above them began to fall down as a result. The Aron was barely in any condition to fight, but Tyrogue keep attacking Aron without letting up.

"That's enough Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Leave that Aron alone!"

Tyrogue ignored Ruby and continued to pummel Aron. A minute ago Ruby saved Tyrogue from Aron, and now she needed to save Aron from Tyrogue. "Fletchinder, go after Tyrogue!"

Fletchinder flew down and used Peck on Tyrogue. The pecking caused Tyrogue to lose focus on Aron and turn around to hit Fletchinder. With Tyrogue being a Fighting type, he had a hard time trying to attack Fletchinder who simply stayed in the air to avoid his attacks. With Tyrogue now distracted, the Aron got up and ran towards one of the cave walls, then started digging into the wall to make its escape. Tyrogue saw Aron trying to escape and immediately ran after it, but by the time he reached Aron, Aron had already dug several feet into the wall where Tyrogue couldn't reach.

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, frustrated that Aron ran away. He began to punch the wall repeatedly, causing more rocks to fall from the ceiling. Suddenly, the rocks kept falling in rapid numbers.

"What's going on?" asked Jaune.

"Beedrill, scan the ceiling!" said Ruby. Beedrill looked up and lit the ceiling with its Flash; the ceiling was forming cracks in all directions. A large chunk of the ceiling suddenly fell to the ground, causing a loud thud that shook the ground, forcing Tyrogue to stop and notice the ceiling as well.

"The cave is coming down!" said Jaune. "We have to get out of here!"

Ruby called back Fletchinder as she and her party started to run away as more large chunks of boulder started falling down. Ruby looked back to see if the Tyrogue had run away, but the boulders came down so fast it was impossible to tell.

After about a minute the cave stopped collapsing; Ruby and Jaune made it a safe enough distance to avoid getting hurt. Once they were in the clear, they stopped to catch their breath.

"Since when does a Tyrogue live in a cave?" asked Jaune.

"They don't," said Ruby. "That Tyrogue is an exception."

"An exception?"

Before Ruby can explain, a light suddenly flashed on them.

"Hey!" said a voice near the light. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine!" said Ruby. "Who are you?"

"Pokémon Ranger Fox," said the voice. "Come with me; you need to leave the cave immediately."

#

Ruby and Jaune were now outside of the cave as miners entered the cave to access the damage. Overseeing the operation was a Pokémon Ranger named Fox. Judging by the scowl on his face, he didn't seem like the kind of ranger to ever be in a good mood.

"It's a good thing you escaped when you did," said Fox. "What happened in there?"

"Oh, you know," said Ruby. "Just...trying to catch some Pokémon." Ruby tried to avoid mentioning she went in there to capture Tyrogue on purpose.

"Until this Tyrogue suddenly showed up and attacked us!" exclaimed Jaune. Ruby hit Jaune for blowing their story.

"Tyrogue huh?" said Fox. "So he's still in this cave after all. I'm afraid you two will have to stay out of the cave until further notice."

"Come on!" said Ruby. "Just because of some random Pokémon causing trouble?"

"This isn't a random Pokémon ma'am. I've been tracking this Tyrogue for several months."

"Did you say months?" asked Jaune. "He's been doing this for months?"

"I first received word of Tyrogue on another route," explained Fox. "Trainers were calling the rangers and telling them about an unusually aggressive Pokémon. At first we figured it was just a Pokémon that loved fighting, but we decided to investigate just in case. Turns out Tyrogue is dangerous; he's been attacking any Pokémon and trainer it comes across to a fight without a second thought. When I first came across Tyrogue, I tried to scan it to obtain more information about it, and that's when I found out why Tyrogue is so aggressive; it had a previous trainer."

"So that Tyrogue was an abandoned Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

All this time Eevee was simply lying around Ruby waiting for them to leave, not paying attention to their conversation. Hearing that dreaded word caused Eevee to suddenly listen to what Fox was saying.

"Most people who let go of a Pokémon drop them off at a center or daycare; this one was improperly let go into the wild. Abandoning Pokémon in the wild can cause them to become emotionally unstable, including being violently aggressive. I tried to capture it myself and ensure it a better life, but that Tyrogue refuses to listen. It's almost as if it refuses to ever associate itself with trainers, and wants to fight for the sake of fighting. Now that it's been causing problems in A-M Cave, we've been ordered to detain Tyrogue permanently."

"What do you detain permanently?" asked Ruby.

"If we feel a Pokémon is too dangerous to be in the wild, the rangers are ordered to capture the Pokémon and keep them away from the wild for good."

"What you're basically saying is you're going to give Tyrogue a life sentence!"

"Don't you think that's an inhumane thing to do?" asked Jaune.

"I'm personally against that myself," said Fox, "but as rangers, we have to ensure the safety of other people and Pokémon, even if it means taking the extreme measurement of detainment."

"Look, I'll just capture Tyrogue and we'll be done with it!" said Ruby.

"I'm sorry, but as the Pokémon Ranger in charge of this operation, I cannot allow you to enter the cave until Tyrogue has either left the premises or has been caught."

"C'mon Ruby," said Jaune. "There's nothing more we can do here."

"Eevee," confirmed Eevee. Ruby sighed and decided to head back to the Pokémon Center.

As Ruby was heading back, the only thing on her mind was what was going to happen to Tyrogue.

"I feel bad for that Tyrogue. First it gets abandoned, and now they're going to detain him. It isn't fair!"

"You heard what Fox said though," said Jaune. "That Tyrogue is too dangerous. They need to stop him."

"That's bogus!" yelled Ruby. "Tyrogue is only acting that way because some jerk trainer decided to abandon it! Why should Tyrogue get blamed when..." Ruby kicked the dirt, upset at Tyrogue's predicament. Eevee rubbed herself against Ruby to cheer Ruby up. Ruby picked up Eevee and petted her.

"Why are you so upset over Tyrogue?" asked Jaune.

"Because they're treating Tyrogue like a criminal. Tyrogue isn't a criminal; it just needs help. I figure if I can catch Tyrogue, I can be a good trainer to him like I was to Eevee. Guess that won't be happening."

The two arrived at the Pokémon Center. Jaune went into the lobby and played games on his scroll, while Ruby dropped off her Pokémon as she went into the mart and decided to read magazines near the back of the store to kill time. As she was reading, another customer entered the mart.

"Can I help you?" asked the cashier.

"Yes, I'd like to know just how big of a reward that Tyrogue is worth."

Overhearing the customer, Ruby felt disgusted about someone interested in capturing Tyrogue for the money.

"That thing? He's worth about...," the cashier when he got a good look at who he was talking to. "Hey wait a minute, aren't you-"

"Ah ah ah," said the customer. "Now you wouldn't want me to cause a scene here would you?"

Ruby turned around to see what was going on, and was shocked to see a familiar face. The customer was Roman Torchwick, and he was holding his cane up to the cashier like he was going to mug him. The cashier held his hands up and went quiet, not wanting to get hurt or worse. Ruby hid behind a shelf so she wouldn't be seen.

"Now, how much for that Tyrogue on the wall?" asked Torchwick.

"About 20,000 Lien."

"Just 20,000? Guess that's better than nothing. Where was this Tyrogue last seen?"

"He's currently in A-M Cave, but the rangers have shut down the cave-"

"All right then. Before I go, mind giving me some of those TMs at say, a five finger discount?"

The cashier slowly walked over to the TM section and handed Torchwick several TMs. Ruby wanted to jump out and stop Torchwick so badly, but she had no Pokémon to defend herself with.

"Pleasure doing business with you," said Torchwick, tipping his hat and leaving the center.

Once Torchwick was out of sight, Ruby immediately ran to Jaune in the lobby.

"Jaune, we need to get to A-M Cave and find Tyrogue!"

"But that ranger said we couldn't-"

"This is important! We can't let that Tyrogue fall into the wrong hands! We're going!"

Ruby asked the nurse for her Pokémon back, then sprinted out the door to A-M Cave, with Jaune lagging behind.

#

Ruby and Jaune reached A-M Cave, only to find the entrance being blocked by several miners, and it didn't look like they would be moving from their spot for any reason.

"What do we do now?" asked Jaune.

"We need to cause some sort of distraction," said Ruby.

As Ruby and Jaune were trying to come up with an idea, a Zubat suddenly flew out of the cave and started to fly around the miners. The miners were swatting the Zubat away as it flew off into the wild. Seeing this gave Ruby the perfect plan.

"Time to drive these miners batty!"

Ruby called out her Zubat and sent it towards the miners. The Zubat flew around and was annoying the miners, trying to swat at it and make it go away. Ruby's Zubat used it's Supersonic to make a loud screeching noise that pierced the miners ears. Just as the miners were about to use their tools to get rid of Zubat for good, the noise caused several Zubats from inside the cave to suddenly fly out. While the miners were distracted by the Zubats flying around them, Ruby and Jaune quickly ran past them into the cave without being noticed, with Ruby's Zubat quickly flying back to its master.

Now inside the cave, Ruby's Beedrill lit the way and looked around to find Tyrogue, hoping neither Fox nor Torchwick got to him first.

"I didn't realize how hard it actually is to find one Pokémon in a cave this big," said Ruby. "There has to be an easier way to find him."

"But how?" asked Jaune. "It's not like we can just go 'Oh Tyrogue!' and he'll suddenly show up."

"Actually...maybe he will!" said Ruby.

"Wait, what?"

"That Tyrogue loves to fight. Maybe if we call him out he'll show up!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"We don't have much of a choice."

"Actually, we have plenty of choices. Choice one: We leave the cave now-"

Ruby ignored Jaune and started shouting for Tyrogue to come out. Realizing Ruby was dead set on capturing this Tyrogue at all costs, he reluctantly starting calling for Tyrogue to come out as well.

"Come out and fight Tyrogue!" said Ruby.

"Or rather just come out and don't hurt us please," said Jaune, causing Ruby to groan.

Hiding behind one of the stalagmites was Tyrogue. He recognized Ruby and Jaune as the trainers who tried to capture him before. As much as Tyrogue wanted to go after them because of his hatred for humans - especially the one who called themselves "trainers" - he remained where he was to be safe.

"What's wrong Tyrogue?" said Ruby. "Suddenly too scared to fight? Don't want to get your butt kicked all over again?"

Turns out it didn't take much to get under Tyrogue's skin. He immediately jumped off and stood in front of Ruby and Jaune. Jaune quickly backed away as Tyrogue got into his fighting stance, ready for whatever Ruby was about to do.

"That's what I thought!" said Ruby. "All right Fletchinder, time to-" Before Ruby can call out Fletchinder, Eevee suddenly nudged Ruby's leg to get her attention.

"What's wrong Eevee?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee, Eevee-vee!" responded Eevee.

"You don't want me to call out Fletchinder?"

Eevee nodded, then started walking up to Tyrogue.

"Wait Eevee!" Ruby wanted to grab Eevee and get her away in case the Tyrogue seriously hurt her, but Eevee turned around and smacked Ruby's hand away.

"Eevee Eevee!" said Eevee.

"Really?" asked Ruby. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Eevee nodded. Ruby nodded and backed away from Eevee. Jaune was confused as to what was going on.

"What's Eevee doing?" asked Jaune. "Is she going to fight him?"

"No," said Ruby, "I think she's going to talk to him."

The Tyrogue stood ready to fight as his opponent slowly approached him.

"[So you'll be fighting me?]" asked Tyrogue.

"[Tyrogue, you need to stop what you're doing!]" said Eevee. "[You're going to cause the cave to collapse!]"

"[So what? I'll collapse this whole mountain if it makes me stronger!]"

"[Make you stronger? Is that why you've been trying to attack every Pokémon you come across?]"

"[Enough talk! Are you going to fight me or not?]"

"[Why are you so obsessed with fighting? Is it because you were abandoned?]"

The Tyrogue growled and Tackled Eevee for using that word. Jaune was shocked to see Tyrogue attack Eevee.

"We need to do something!" said Jaune.

"Relax," said Ruby. "I trust Eevee knows what she's doing.

Instead of fighting back, Eevee stood back up and continued talking to Tyrogue.

"[What would you know about being abandoned?]" said Tyrogue. "[You don't know what it's like to be gotten rid of because some human thinks you were too weak to fight!]"

"[You're wrong! I too was abandoned for reasons I'll never know! But I found a human who now takes care of me. Eventually you'll find a human to take care of you.]"

"[I don't need a human! I don't need anybody! I can get strong on my own!]"

Tyrogue Tackled Eevee again, who took the hit full force. Tyrogue expected Eevee to start fighting back, but Eevee refused.

"[Don't you realize what you're doing?"] asked Eevee. "[If you cause this cave to collapse, it's going to hurt the Pokémon who live here! If you don't care about the humans, at least think about the Pokémon who need this cave as their home! Are you going to let all the Pokémon here suffer just so you can get stronger?]"

"[What do I care if some Pokémon lose their home? It just shows that they're weak!]"

"[Because then you'll be just as heartless as the trainer who got rid of you!]"

"[You think I'm as heartless as a human? How dare you compare me to them!"]

Tyrogue trudged towards Eevee and picked her up by the fur of her neck. Tyrogue was seething at being compared to the trainer who got rid of him. Tyrogue held up one of his arms, ready to strike Eevee with its Mach Punch. Jaune was nudging Ruby in an effort to jump in and stop this, but Ruby stood where she was.

"[Go ahead and attack me,]" said Eevee. "[I'm not going to fight back.]"

"[Because you know I can defeat you!]" said Tyrogue.

"[Do it then. Prove how heartless you are by attacking a defenseless Pokémon. You'll be guaranteed to never have a trainer look after you when you show them how cruel you are.]"

Ruby and Jaune were holding their breaths, wondering what Tyrogue was going to do. Tyrogue still had his arm wound back ready to strike, but was having second thoughts about hitting Eevee. Tyrogue didn't need a trainer to get stronger; he was getting stronger all on his own. He didn't need help from some human who would just abandon him if he didn't live up to their standards, even if he was only trying his best. He didn't need a trainer to survive the harsh weather environments, or recover his wounds when he got seriously hurt, or comfort him whenever he felt sad, or encourage him whenever he lost a fight he thought he could win. He didn't need a trainer.

Or rather, he wanted a trainer so badly, but he tried convincing himself the opposite, so he wouldn't have to be abandoned all over again.

Tyrogue placed his arms down and let go of Eevee. Ruby and Jaune were relieved to see Tyrogue calm down.

"[You let go of me,]" said Eevee. "[Guess you're not so heartless after all.]"

Before Tyrogue can say anything, a bright flashlight from a distance shined on the two Pokémon. Suddenly they heard a loud burst of what sounded like gunfire, and the next thing the two Pokémon knew, a steel net entangled them and threw them against the wall.

"Where did that come from?" asked Jaune.

"I bet I know who!" said Ruby, turning to the source of the light. It was as Ruby thought; Roman Torchwick had arrived.

"Thanks for doing all the work for me!" said Torchwick. "I heard that Tyrogue was pretty menacing, but you somehow stalled him long enough for me to capture. I'll be sure to send you a thank you note after I rake in the reward money."

"Let go of those Pokémon Torchwick!" demanded Ruby.

"Who is this guy?" asked Jaune.

"Ah, I see you have a new friend," said Torchwick. "Let me introduce myself: I am the stylin'-"

"He's Roman Torchwick," interrupted Ruby, "a scumbag from the White Fang."

"How rude!" said Torchwick. "I'm not just some scumbag from the White Fang, little red! I'm the Commander!"

"So what's a Commander like you doing capturing some wild Pokémon?" asked Jaune. "That kind of sounds like grunt work to me."

"Shut up!" yelled Torchwick. "I am one of the White Fang's top Commanders! In fact, I'm actually the Second in Command!"

"You can be a trainee for all I care!" said Ruby. "Let go of my Eevee and Tyrogue!"

"Sorry, but I need the Tyrogue for the cash, and I need the Eevee because...well, because I just want it."

Torchwick grabbed his Poké Ball and called out his Krookodile. "Now are you going to stay back like a good little trainer or do I have to sic Krookodile on you again?"

"I'm not the same trainer you met in the Emerald Forest!" Ruby grabbed her Poké Ball and called out Fletchinder.

"And I'm going to help!" said Jaune, calling out his Dunsparce.

"Aw, two against one? Now how is that fair?" asked Torchwick rhetorically. "Krookodile, Crunch that annoying kid's bird!" Krookodile ran up to Fletchinder and tried to squeeze Fletchinder with its giant jaws.

"Fletchinder, Agility!" said Ruby. Fletchinder quickly flew away as Krookodile missed.

"Dunsparce, Rollout attack!" said Jaune. Dunsparce curled up into a ball and charged at Krookodile.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!" said Torchwick. The Krookodile turned its tail into iron and smacked Dunsparce, sending it flying into a wall, knocking it out in one hit. The impact was so great that it caused the cave to start shaking.

"Dunsparce!"

"Well that was easier than I thought," remarked Torchwick, making Jaune feel like an idiot. He really was useless in a battle.

"Fletchinder, Quick Attack!" said Ruby. Fletchinder flew by Krookodile quickly and struck it with its wing. Fletchinder turned around and went for another Quick Attack; Krookodile tried to Crunch down on Fletchinder but was too slow to connect. Torchwick was trying to think of a way to stop Fletchinder now it was much faster than Krookodile; that's when he looked up to the ceiling and got an idea.

"Krookodile, Earthquake attack!" commanded Torchwick.

"Huh?" said Ruby. Earthquake was a Ground move, which means Fletchinder wouldn't be taking any damage. Nonetheless, the Krookodile raised one leg up and stomped it to the ground, causing an Earthquake within the cave. The shaking of the cave caused the stalactites above to start swinging, which Ruby didn't notice.

"Fletchinder, hit him with another Quick Attack!" Fletchinder was going to charge at Krookodile when one of the stalactites fell down on Fletchinder, clipping one of its wings. Fletchinder fell to the ground in sharp pain, unable to fly due to its injured wing. "Fletchinder!"

"Now Krookodile, time for some Foul Play!" Krookodile picked up the injured Fletchinder and slammed it into the ground, causing further damage to Ruby's bird. Just like Dunsparce, it too was unable to continue fighting.

"That's enough!" said Ruby, calling Fletchinder back.

"Will that be all little red?" asked Torchwick. "Or do you have more Pokémon for me to send to the injury ward?"

"I'm just getting started!" said Ruby, calling out her newly acquired Geodude next. Ruby knew Geodude wasn't quite as powerful as Fletchinder, but she needed to do something to stop Torchwick.

Meanwhile, Jaune was just standing back wondering what to do. He could call out his Raticate to help out, but considering how terrible he was at fighting, would probably just get his butt kicked again.

_"I can't just stand here and do nothing!"_ thought Jaune. _"But at the same time, I don't stand a chance against this guy! There has to be something I can do to save Eevee and Tyrogue..."_ That's when Jaune suddenly realized that while Torchwick and Ruby were occupied with fighting each other, neither of them were paying attention to Eevee and Tyrogue.

Jaune turned to make sure Torchwick wasn't looking his way. Indeed, Torchwick was too busy ordering his Krookodile to attack Ruby's Geodude. Jaune quietly called out his Raticate.

"Raticate," whispered Jaune, "sneak over to Eevee and Tyrogue and see if you can break them free of that net."

Meanwhile, Krookodile attacked Geodude with its Iron Tail, knocking Geodude out. A frustrated Ruby called back her Geodude and brought out Zubat in its place.

"A Zubat?" said Torchwick. "You must be getting desperate!"

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop you Torchwick!" said Ruby. "Zubat, Leech Life!"

The Zubat latched on to Krookodile and tried to suck energy out of it. Krookodile grabbed Zubat and slammed it to the ground, then knocked it out in one hit with its Iron Tail. Now the only Pokémon Ruby had left to fight was Beedrill, and Ruby needed it to see in the cave.

"Looks like you're only down to one Pokémon little red!" said Torchwick. "Tell you what, because I'm such a nice guy, I'll cut you a deal."

"What kind of deal?" asked Ruby.

"You let me keep the Tyrogue, and I'll let that Eevee go. I say it's more than fair; after all, it isn't like Tyrogue is your Pokémon anyway."

"Forget it! I'm not letting that Tyrogue get turned in by a jerk like you!"

"In that case, I'll just take every single one of your Pokémon and send you crying back to mommy! Krookodile, Crunch that Beedrill!"

"Beedrill, Twin Needle!"

The Beedrill flew in needles first at Krookodile. Krookodile got it's jaw ready to bite Beedrill's head off, when suddenly Tyrogue appeared and punched Krookodile square in the jaw with a Mach Punch. The surprise attack caught Krookodile off guard and nearly broke Krookodile's mouth with that move.

"Hey, you supposed to be trapped in that net!" yelled Torchwick. Ruby and Torchwick turned to the net to see Raticate had chewed off part of the net and freed the Pokémon. Eevee came running into Ruby's arms as soon as it got free.

"Are you all right Eevee?" asked Ruby. Eevee chirped happily back.

"Looks like the tides have turned now Torchwick!" boasted Jaune.

"You're one to talk, scrawny blonde!" replied Torchwick. "My Krookodile still outmatches any of your Pokémon!"

The Krookodile was about to charge at Ruby and Jaune when the Tyrogue jumped out and got in the Krookodile's way.

"Tyrogue!" said Tyrogue, daring Krookodile to come after him.

"I'll deal with you two later," said Torchwick. "First I'm going to put this Tyrogue in his place!"

Krookodile charged at Tyrogue and tried to bite down with Crunch. The Tyrogue dodged to the side and hit Krookodile with another Mach Punch to the jaw, dealing critical damage. As the Krookodile was trying to adjust its jaw, Tyrogue rammed into Krookodile and Tackled him to the ground. With Tyrogue on top, he continued pummeling Krookodile. Ruby looked on and started cheering for Tyrogue.

"Way to go Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Teach that croc a lesson!"

"Krookodile, Foul Play!" ordered Torchwick. Tyrogue went to punch Krookodile again, only for his fist to be caught by Krookodile. Krookodile grabbed Tyrogue's arm and flung Tyrogue into the wall. Tyrogue got up and charged at Krookodile with another Mach Punch; Krookodile swung its Iron Tail and tripped Tyrogue, causing him to fall to the ground. With Tyrogue laying across from Krookodile, Krookodile kept slamming its Iron Tail into the back of Tyrogue, causing serious damage to Tyrogue.

"Uh oh," said Jaune. "I don't think that Tyrogue is going to last much longer!"

"We need to jump in now!" said Ruby. "Let's go Eevee!"

Eevee was about to run over and help Tyrogue when suddenly a stalactite fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground. Ruby and Jaune looked up to see the ceiling looking in really bad shape, even worse than the first cave-in.

"I don't think we have enough time!" said Jaune. "This cave looks like it's going to collapse at any second!"

An idea sparked in Ruby's head. Perhaps they can use this dilemma to their advantage.

"Jaune, take Eevee and get ready to run," said Ruby.

"Why? What are you going to do?"

"I'm about to get us all out of here."

Krookodile continued to pound on Tyrogue until he was so injured he could barely move. With Tyrogue unable to move, Torchwick took out an empty Poké Ball.

"I hate having to capture these things the old fashioned way," said Torchwick, "but at least I'll still get that reward money." Torchwick went up to the injured Tyrogue and held the ball over its limp body.

"Beedrill, Flash them!" shouted Ruby. Beedrill increased the intensity of its Flash and emitted a bright light that blinded Torchwick and Krookodile, giving Ruby enough time to run over and grab Tyrogue, lifting him away to safety.

"Hey, you can't interfere with another trainer capturing a Pokémon!"

"As if you're one to talk about morals!"

"Good point. Krookodile, swat that overgrown pest!"

Krookodile lunged at Beedrill with its Iron Tail. The Beedrill flew away to avoid getting hit, and decided to take to the air as high as it could.

"Come down here and fight like a real Pokémon!" said Torchwick.

"Can't reach my Beedrill, Torchwick?" asked Ruby. "What are you going to do, use Earthquake to get it back down?"

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea! Krookodile, Earthquake attack!"

The Krookodile stomped it's leg hard into the ground, causing the entire cave to shake. Beedrill flew around to avoid the rocks falling from the ceiling as the cracks began growing.

"C'mon Torchwick, that all you got?" mocked Ruby.

"Krookodile, stomp even harder!"

Krookodile stomped the ground even harder, causing the cave to shake even more. The rocks were now coming down at a rapid pace, causing Beedrill to fly back near ground level to avoid getting trampled by the debris.

"Now I've got you! Krookodile, Crunch that Beedrill!"

Krookodile opened its jaws and went to chomp Beedrill when a large rock suddenly fell on its jaw and crushed it to the ground. Krookodile removed the rock and whimpered in the pain. Soon another large rock fell down to the ground, followed by another.

"The cave is collapsing!" said Jaune.

"That's our cue!" said Ruby. "C'mon Beedrill!"

Beedrill flew in front of Ruby's party to light the way as they made their escape.

"Oh no you don't!" said Torchwick. "Krookodile, go after them!" Krookodile was about to give chase when a large boulder fell on its head, knocking it out. "Do I HAVE to do everything myself?" Torchwick recalled Krookodile and started chasing Ruby when a mountain of dirt suddenly came down and blocked Torchwick from going after them. Now Torchwick needed to find a way out or else he'd be buried in the cave.

Ruby and crew were running as fast as they could as the cave continued to come tumbling down. They made it out to the entrance just as the ceiling came down and completely blocked the pathway. Now that they were outside, they all stopped to catch their breath.

"I never ran that much in my life!" said Jaune, collapsing to the floor in exhaustion.

"Ahem!" Ruby was suddenly greeted by Ranger Fox. "Care to explain what you were doing in that cave?"

"I was trying to save Tyrogue," said Ruby.

"Save him? He just caused this cave to collapse! It could be weeks before the cave is cleared enough for anyone to pass through."

"Tyrogue didn't cause this; I did. I'll take the blame for what happened here."

"You sure about that? Causing a collapse this big is grounds for a serious fine, not to mention a prohibition on your trainer license. On the other hand, you can hand over Tyrogue and admit he was the cause."

"Then go ahead and fine me," said Ruby, clutching the injured Tyrogue in her arms. Fox admired the way Ruby was standing up for this Pokémon that didn't even belong to her.

"You really care about that Tyrogue. In that case, I'm going to mark this down as an unrelated accident. Let's get him to a Pokémon Center right away."

"Thank you," said Ruby, relieved to see Fox have a change of heart.

#

Ruby and Jaune spent the night at the Pokémon Center as everyone's Pokémon was getting recovered. By morning, Ruby and Jaune got up and were getting ready to head to Marrón City.

"You realize with A-M Cave out of commission, we're going to have to walk, right?" said Jaune.

"I don't mind the walk," said Ruby. "Besides, you can use the exercise yourself."

"I'm not that out of shape," muttered Jaune under his breath. Before they left, they were greeted by Fox.

"Heading off?" asked Fox.

"Yep," said Ruby. "So what will happen to Tyrogue?"

"I was going to help Tyrogue find a home, but the nurse told me as soon as he recovered, he ran away. Kind of sad really; I would of thought he'd want to stay with you after how much you helped him."

"Guess that Tyrogue just likes being alone," said Ruby. "I just hope he doesn't cause any more trouble for other Pokémon."

Ruby and Jaune left the center and started on their path towards Marrón City. With the route being a regular plain with few grassy areas, it didn't look like they'd be stumbling into Pokémon any time soon.

"Sorry that you couldn't get your Tyrogue Ruby," said Jaune.

"Easy come easy go," said Ruby. "They'll be plenty of other Pokémon to catch."

"Tyrogue!"

"Did you just hear that?" asked Jaune. Ruby and Jaune turned around to see Tyrogue standing behind them. Eevee walked up to Tyrogue.

"[Are you still trying to pick a fight?]" asked Eevee.

"[No,]" said Tyrogue. "[I came to thank you and your human friends. You saved me from the collapse and showed me what I was doing was wrong. Before you leave, I wish for one more favor.]" Tyrogue pointed up to Ruby. "[I want to fight your human partner's Pokémon and see if she's worthy of being my trainer!]"

"I don't speak Pokémon, but it sounds like you want to fight me."

Tyrogue nodded, then got into position, ready to fight whoever Ruby would send out.

"All right then! Let's go Fletchinder!"

Ruby called out Fletchinder to battle Tyrogue. Tyrogue immediately tried to attack with a Mach Punch, but Fletchinder dodged the attack and Pecked at Tyrogue. Tyrogue used Fake Out to flinch Fletchinder, then jumped up and Mach Punched Fletchinder in the face, knocking it to the ground. Tyrogue went to Tackle Fletchinder; Fletchinder shot Ember at Tyrogue to stop him. Fletchinder then got up and nailed Tyrogue with several Quick Attacks, then used another Ember to knock Tyrogue down.

"Now's my chance!" said Ruby, throwing her Poké Ball to capture Tyrogue. Tyrogue went inside the ball and tried to fight out of it, but ultimately succumbed to it and officially became Ruby's Pokémon.

"Welcome to the team Tyrogue!" said Ruby as she held up her newly acquired Pokémon. Despite losing the battle, the Tyrogue felt at peace; he finally got the trainer he wanted.

#

"Dig faster you stupid croc!" said Torchwick. Him and his Krookodile spent all night trying to dig out of A-M Cave, and were still no closer to finding a way out.

"Stupid boss making me do this stupid mission because that stupid little red messed up my stupid plans," pouted Torchwick. He got so frustrated he picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could. The rock hit a Zubat hanging from the ceiling, causing it to start screeching. Suddenly, Torchwick could hear what sounded like hundreds of wings flapping at the same time. Torchwick looked up and saw he had awakened all of the Zubats, and all of them were now going after him.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" yelled Torchwick as he was tortured by the Zubats.


	5. The Status Tactician! Ruby vs Velvet

After walking for a couple hours, Ruby and the gang were taking a break on their route to Marrón City. There were hardly any Pokémon for Ruby to battle, so the walk had been pretty boring. Ruby and Jaune's Pokémon were eating their treats or running around playing. Ruby was on her scroll getting information about Marrón City. The pictures of Marrón City showed trees standing beside nearly every building in the city. Tall grass and flowers were growing all across the sides of the roads, with small Pokémon scampering through. The place looked less like a city and more like a park. Ruby was looking up info about the city's gym.

"According to this, Marrón City's gym leader likes to use Grass type Pokémon," said Ruby.

"So it should be a cinch for you, right?" asked Jaune. "Your Fletchinder alone should be able to beat whatever Pokémon they use."

"Do you know what kind of Pokémon they use?"

"Not a clue."

"Really? You don't know anything about the gym leader there?"

"What makes you think I would know anything?"

"I just assumed gym leaders would get to know each other."

"They do, but..."

"You've never talked to another gym leader, have you?"

Jaune crawled up into a ball and moaned. So not only was Jaune unable to battle properly, he never interacted with his fellow gym leaders like a real gym leader would have.

"How come you never talk to any of them?" asked Ruby.

"Just think about it," said Jaune. "A kid who didn't earn his position and went on an incredible losing streak trying to act like he's on the level of trainers who actually know what they're doing? Does that sound like someone you'd want to hang out with?"

"I see your point."

"I really hope I find this true calling of mine soon."

The group gathered their stuff and went back on the route to Marrón City. Jaune looked down and felt miserable after Ruby brought up how lousy of a trainer he was. Ruby patted Jaune on the back.

"Sorry I brought it up," said Ruby. "We'll find your calling eventually Jaune. I promise."

#

After about another hour of walking, the group arrived at Marrón City. It was as beautiful as it looked on the scroll. Ruby and Jaune walked around and were amazed at how the buildings fit perfectly amongst the scenery. They went to the Pokémon Center to heal their Pokémon, then headed to the Marrón City gym. Unlike the one in Amarillo City, this one was much grander in size.

"Look at this place!" said Jaune. "This one looks like a mall compared to the one in Amarillo!"

"I didn't want to say anything," said Ruby. "This doesn't bother you at all?"

"Every city builds their gym to their own preferences. My dad kept things simple and to the point. I wonder what this place is like?"

Ruby and Jaune entered the gym. The lobby was full of people with their Pokémon, mostly small children. Most of the Pokémon they were playing with were low level monsters.

"You think all these kids are here for a battle?" asked Ruby.

"They don't look like the battling type," remarked Jaune. "Maybe they're just here to watch the gym leader battle."

"Well then I'll give them a show worth watching."

Ruby went up to the front desk and rang the bell for service. Out from the back came a man nearly seven feet tall and wearing light green armor. Ruby was in awe at the size and look of this man; his face alone looked like the face of someone who was ready to battle and destroy anyone who challenged him to a fight. Jaune's legs were starting to tremble at the sight of him, while Ruby was trying her best to not look intimidated. The man went up to the desk and looked down on Ruby.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I uh...want to...bah...," stuttered Ruby.

"Excuse me?"

Ruby suddenly shook her head and pointed her finger up to the tall man. "I challenge you to a battle for my second badge!"

"You wish to battle for a badge?"

"That's right! Why, you think I'm scared of you? I'm not afraid of any trainer no matter how big and strong they look! Bring it on big boy!"

With Ruby trying to sound loud and tough, everyone in the lobby turned their attention to her. The tall man simply smiled.

"I admire your tenacity to battle, but if you're here for a badge, I'm not the gym leader."

"Wait, what?" asked Ruby, starting to sound embarrassed for her behavior.

"Velvet! You have a challenger waiting for you!"

Out from the back came a woman just slightly taller than Ruby, wearing an apron and carrying a Bunnelby in her arms. She was also wearing some kind of hat that made her look like she had rabbit ears growing out of her head.

"Sorry about that," said Velvet. "These little ones get really antsy when they're hungry."

"I told you I could handle the Pokémon for you," said the tall man.

"I'm fine Yatsuhashi. So, which of you will be challenging for a badge today?"

"That would be the fierce one in red," said Yatsuhashi, pointing to the girl whose face was now about as red as her outfit. Ruby snapped out of her embarrassment to shake Velvet's hand.

"I'm Ruby Rose."

"Nice to meet you Ruby. I'm Velvet. Do you mind waiting for a bit while I get the area ready?"

"Not a problem."

#

Jaune was amazed at the sight of the Marrón City gym. Much like Jaune's gym, there was a monitor to the side to keep track of the Pokémon's health and bleachers for fans. Unlike Jaune's gym, the area itself looked like a grassy plain one would find wild Pokémon in, and the bleachers were full of the children from the lobby cheering for Velvet. A bunch of Pokémon lined up in the front row, also cheering for Velvet. Jaune and Yatsuhashi stood towards the back of the stands to get a view of the entire area.

"Is this really the gym?" asked Jaune.

"For battles, yes," said Yatsuhashi. "Other times this place serves as a breeding center. Velvet is more than just a gym leader; she's an expert Pokémon Breeder. She takes care of baby Pokémon and helps trainers in breeding their Pokémon. Trainers of all skills come to visit us, from children wanting to learn the basics to experts in trying to create the strongest fighters possible."

Once Ruby was done with her forms, her and Eevee came out from the challenger's side. Velvet came out from the leader's side, now dressed in her brown armor while still wearing the rabbit ears hat. As soon as Velvet came out, all the children and Pokémon started cheering for her.

"Because you have one badge, we will be using two Pokémon each," said Velvet. "Good luck Ruby."

"You can do it Miss Scarlatina!" shouted one of the kids.

"You're the best Miss Scarlatina!" shouted another.

Once the starting signal sounded, the trainers called out their first Pokémon. Velvet's first Pokémon was Petilil; Ruby's first Pokémon was Fletchinder. Knowing Velvet used Grass types, Ruby figured her best bet was to use Fletchinder for the entire battle.

"Ah, a Fire and Flying hybrid," remarked Velvet. "An excellent choice against Grass types."

"Hate to break it to you and your fans," said Ruby, "but this battle isn't going to last very long."

"It won't be that easy Ruby. Type advantage isn't the only way to win battles."

"Let's make this quick Fletchinder. Ember attack!"

Fletchinder started shooting small fireballs at Petilil. Petilil started to run around to avoid the flames, but with the grassy plain quickly started to find itself surrounded by fire. Despite the danger it was in, Petilil and Velvet kept calm. Fletchinder flew down closer, ready to fire at Petilil from nearly point blank range.

"Fire away Fletchinder!" Fletchinder shot another Ember at Petilil.

"Petilil, Stun Spore now!" Petilil shot a burst of yellow pollen at Fletchinder. The Ember smashed into Petilil and did serious damage to Petilil, while the pollen nearly covered Fletchinder's body. Fletchinder tried to fly away when it suddenly fell to the ground, barely able to move its wings.

"What's going on?" asked Jaune. "What happened to Fletchinder?"

"It's been paralyzed by the Stun Spore," said Yatsuhashi.

"A little paralysis isn't going to stop us!" said Ruby. "C'mon Flet, use Quick Attack!"

Fletchinder tried to get up and use the attack but could barely flap its wings. The Stun Spore was worse than Ruby realized.

"Petilil, Leech Seed," commanded Velvet. Petilil shot a seed at the paralyzed Fletchinder. The seed attached to Fletchinder and sprouted into vines that wrapped itself around Fletchinder. The seed drained Fletchinder's energy and transferred it to Petilil.

"Shake it off Fletchinder!" said Ruby. Fletchinder tried to remove the leech seed but was impossible due to its limited mobility. The seed drained more energy from Fletchinder as Petilil was starting to recover from the damage done by Ember.

"Petilil, Magical Leaf." Petilil powered up its leaves and fired at Fletchinder. Being a Grass move, it barely did any damage to Fletchinder, but combined with the Leech Seed, Fletchinder was losing a lot of health.

"Fight back Fletchinder! Peck that little plant!"

Fletchinder recovered some feeling in its body and went to Peck at Petilil. The move did major damage to Petilil, nearly knocking it out if not for Leech Seed giving it the energy it needed to stay alive.

"Your Petilil may not be a pushover, but Fletchinder still has more strength than it does!"

"Petilil, time to use Toxic!" said Velvet. Petilil fired a glob of purple liquid from its head onto Fletchinder. Fletchinder began gagging, its body now badly poisoned. Ruby was getting worried that Fletchinder was going to fall.

"Hurry Fletchinder, use Quick Attack!" said Ruby. Fletchinder flapped its wings and charged at Petilil, but the poison took its toll and caused Fletchinder to stop as its body couldn't take the pain. Whatever energy Fletchinder had left was drained by Leech Seed, putting an end to Fletchinder's battle.

"No way!" said Jaune. "She beat Fletchinder!"

"Velvet's key to winning battles is to inflict status conditions on the opponent," explained Yatsuhashi. "By causing the opponent's Pokémon to suffer various ailments, it impairs their ability to fight at their fullest, if at all. People around here like to call her the status tactician."

Ruby sighed and called back Fletchinder. She underestimated what Velvet's Pokémon would be capable of and it cost her. Now she needed to think about who to send out next.

"Do you need more time to think of your next Pokémon?" asked Velvet.

"I know exactly who I'm using," said Ruby, turning to Eevee. "All right Eevee, let's win that badge-"

Suddenly one of Ruby's Poké Balls opened up on its own. Out came Tyrogue, ready to start fighting.

"So Tyrogue will be your second choice?" said Velvet.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" said Ruby. "Tyrogue, I didn't call you out!"

"Tyrogue!" he shouted back. He really wanted to start fighting. Ruby didn't want to use Tyrogue, but considering she hadn't put any thought in her second choice, decided to let Tyrogue do what he wanted.

"If you really want to go, so be it." Before Ruby can give the first command, Tyrogue charged straight for Petilil. "Tyrogue, wait!"

"Petilil, fire your Stun Spore!" said Velvet. Petilil fired its Stun Spore at Tyrogue and paralyzed Tyrogue much like she did Fletchinder. Tyrogue tried to fight through the paralysis and use a Mach Punch, but his body was so slow that Petilil was able to dodge. Petilil fired a Leech Seed and started to absorb Tyrogue's energy much like she did to Fletchinder. Ruby can only watch as Tyrogue's body was unable to move, taking the brunt of Petilil's attacks. Tyrogue was down before it can even lay a finger on Petilil, and just like that, Velvet was the victor.

"Your winner, Velvet Scarlatina!" declared Yatsuhashi. The children and Pokémon cheered for Velvet's victory while Ruby called back her Tyrogue and sighed.

"Well, guess it's off to the Pokémon Center for me," said Ruby, turning around to leave.

"Actually Ruby," said Velvet, "we have a healing center right here. You can rest your Pokémon here, and while you wait, how would you like to be a part of my class today?"

"Class?"

"I'm not just a gym leader; I also teach trainers about raising Pokémon. I'd be more than happy to give you any pointers."

"Sure. I could definitely use some after that loss."

#

The children sat on the grassy plain next to their Pokémon, with Ruby and Jaune sitting towards the back. Velvet and Yatsuhashi stood in front of the class; next to Velvet was her signature Pokémon Lilligant.

"Okay class, before we begin our first lesson, I'd like to ask you a question. What factors do you believe makes a Pokémon strong?" The kids immediately tried to raise their hand, while Jaune was waving like mad hoping to get picked.

"Settle down Jaune," said Ruby.

"Why don't we ask our new students what they think?" said Velvet, pointing towards Ruby and Jaune.

"Strong Pokémon need powerful moves!" said Jaune.

"Good moves do help, but there's more to it than that."

"Well, you also need to train with them a lot."

"Training is important as well, but you're only seeing things through a battling perspective. Many trainers tend to overlook one key factor that makes your Pokémon strong. Can anyone tell me what it is?"

"I believe I know," said Ruby. "It's happiness."

"Bingo," said Velvet. "Your Pokémon's happiness is an important factor when raising them. A high level Pokémon with no love or respect for their trainer will always be weaker than a Pokémon that does."

"But how does being happy make them stronger?" one kid asked.

"Studies have shown that Pokémon who have a strong bond for their trainer are more likely to land critical hits and survive intense attacks that would otherwise knock them out."

_"I wonder if that's why Tyrogue is still weak,"_ thought Ruby. Tyrogue had to have put himself in dozens, if not hundreds of battles, and yet no matter how intense Tyrogue trained himself, he never seemed to actually improve.

"Today, we're going to learn to bond with our Pokémon with an exercise I like to use with my Pokémon called face matching. Watch me and Lilligant."

Velvet sat in front of Lilligant and made the same blank face Lilligant made. Lilligant tilted it's head to the right, so Velvet tilted hers to the left. Lilligant tilted the other way as Velvet followed. Lilligant made a happy face, so Velvet did the same. Lilligant jumped up and down in joy of Velvet mimicking her.

"All right everyone, start making faces with your Pokémon."

The children turned to their Pokémon and start mimicking their faces. Velvet walked around to observe how everyone was doing. Jaune was trying to practice with his Dunsparce, but Dunsparce kept giving off the same dull face; it was hard to tell how exactly Dunsparce was feeling. Ruby was making faces with Eevee, and even copied Eevee's Baby-Doll Eyes look. Eevee chuckled at Ruby's mimicking.

"You and Eevee get along really well," said Velvet. "She must like you a lot."

"It hasn't always been like that," said Ruby. "But I've gotten better."

"I can tell you're a nice trainer Ruby; that's why it surprised me to see that Tyrogue seem like it hated you."

"Well, to make a long story short, I captured him after his last trainer decided to get rid of him."

"I see. How long have you had this Tyrogue?"

"A few hours at most."

"Perhaps instead of doing these exercises with Eevee, we should do them with Tyrogue. I'll have the nurse bring him out for you."

"Are you sure about that? He might not...I mean, what if he just goes off again?"

"Tyrogue's behavior is not going to improve simply on its own. You should bond with him the same way you bond with Eevee. Trust me, I've dealt with misbehaved Pokémon before."

While Velvet and Ruby waited for Tyrogue, Yatsuhashi was showing some of the children and Jaune the various tools he used when training Pokémon at the center.

"This is called a Macho Brace," said Yatsuhashi. "This doubles the effort values a Pokémon gains in battle."

"What's an effort value?" asked Jaune.

"Effort values are special enhancements a Pokémon gains from battle depending on who they fight. Expert trainers search for Pokémon that give off certain values in order to buff their Pokémon accordingly."

"Um...I don't get it."

"I get it!" said one of the kids. "If I wanted to improve my Pokémon's attacks, I'd find a Pokémon that gives off a specific effort value!"

"Precisely," said Yatsuhashi. "Now the usual way of fighting can take a long time, so experts usually use tools such as these to aid the process."

"Can we use them?" asked one of the kids.

"Sorry, but we reserve these tools for the more experienced trainers to use. Speaking of, I need to check on some of the Pokémon here."

As Jaune and the children followed Yatsuhashi around, a nurse arrived with Ruby's Tyrogue. Ruby called out her Tyrogue and sure enough, Tyrogue had a mean look on his face.

"Hey Tyrogue," said Ruby. "You and I are going to do some bonding exercises. Won't that be fun?"

Tyrogue responded by turning his back to Ruby, folded his arms, and sat down. Tyrogue was not in the mood to be doing anything after his humiliating loss in the gym battle.

"C'mon Tyrogue, it'll be fun!"

Ruby tried to get in front of Tyrogue, but Tyrogue just turned around, not wanting to look at Ruby.

"Now Tyrogue," said Velvet, "I know you're upset about losing, but we're here to help. I think the reason you lost isn't because you're weak, but because you don't get along with Ruby."

The Tyrogue looked up to Velvet, slightly interested in what she had to say.

"I think if you and Ruby bonded the way she bonded with Eevee, you can become a great fighter in no time. So what do you say?"

"Hmph," muttered Tyrogue, not interested in doing what Velvet wanted. Ruby was starting to lose it with Tyrogue.

"Fine, be that way you little brat," said Ruby.

"Now Ruby!" replied Velvet. Ruby turned around and sat in the same way Tyrogue was sitting and made the same angry face.

"Grr, I'm Tyrogue!" said Ruby in a mocking voice. "I just want to punch everything until I get strong and throw a fit when I don't get things my way!"

Ruby's mocking of Tyrogue caught his attention. He turned around to see Ruby trying to copy him. As Ruby kept ranting, Tyrogue got up and stood in front of Ruby. Velvet and Eevee were worried about what Tyrogue was going to do. Tyrogue suddenly crossed his eyes and pretended he threw a ball.

"Tyrogue Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, then he smacked his forehead a couple of times.

"What's that about?" asked Ruby.

"Oh dear," said Velvet. "I...I think he's calling you stupid."

"Tyrogue!" confirmed Tyrogue.

"So you think I'm stupid huh?" said Ruby, making an angry face at Tyrogue. Tyrogue made the same angry face at Ruby. Ruby stuck her tongue her out, causing Tyrogue to do the same. Ruby and Tyrogue kept making mean faces at each other, not realizing they were inadvertently doing the mimicking exercise.

_"Well, at least they're bonding...somewhat,"_ thought Velvet.

While Ruby and Tyrogue were bonding in their own weird way, Jaune was watching Yatsuhashi feed the Pokémon that were under his care. The children went off to play with Velvet's Lilligant.

"So Yatsuhashi, what's it like being a Pokémon Breeder?" asked Jaune.

"It's a one-of-a-kind experience," said Yatsuhashi. "I get to look after all different kinds of Pokémon, and raise them to become ready for battle and life in general."

"Do you have to be an expert in battling to be a good breeder?"

"It helps to know how to battle properly, but overall it's more about raising them than teaching them how to fight. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not a very good battler, but I do love Pokémon. I want to become a Pokémon Breeder!"

"Are you sure? Becoming a breeder requires a lot of dedication and patience. This isn't something Velvet and I learned to do overnight; it's taken us years to hone our breeding skills to where they are today."

"I'll do whatever it takes! I'll learn everything you need to teach me!"

"For starters, how many Pokémon have you raised in your lifetime?"

"I've got Raticate and Dunsparce."

"...is that it?"

"Well I had a few more Pokémon in the past, but I had to let them go. They uh...didn't like me so much."

"Jaune, I don't want to discourage you, but it doesn't sound like you're anywhere close to ready to learning Pokémon Breeding."

"Please, just give me a chance! This could be my purpose in life!"

Jaune got on his knees and begged. Yatsuhashi thought about what to do, then came up with an idea.

"If you really think you have what it takes to become a breeder, we can run a test."

"What kind of test?"

Yatsuhashi took out his scroll and gave Velvet a call.

"What's up Yatsuhashi?" asked Velvet.

"Velvet, do we still have that egg that was left here a few days ago?"

"I believe so. Check the nest."

Yatsuhashi lead Jaune to a roped off corner of the gym. The corner had trees and shrubs nearly covering the entire corner. In the middle of the shrubbery was a nest containing a Pokémon egg laying on its side.

"What's with the egg?" asked Jaune.

"Sometimes we keep eggs left behind by trainers when they want us to breed their Pokémon," explained Yatsuhashi.

"What kind of Pokémon is inside?"

"We're not quite sure. Whatever is inside, it'll be up to you to raise it into a strong Pokémon." Yatsuhashi carefully picked up the egg and handed it to Jaune.

"So uh, how exactly do I hatch it?"

"Just keep it on you and the egg will eventually hatch on its own. If you can properly raise whatever hatches, then you'll be starting your first step into becoming a Pokémon Breeder."

"I won't let you down!" said Jaune, trying to salute with one arm, causing the egg to fall out of his grip. Jaune quickly realized his mistake and quickly caught the egg before it dropped to the ground.

"I suggest placing it in your backpack to protect it," said Yatsuhashi.

"Good advice."

With the day about to come to an end, Velvet made the announcement that today's class was now over.

"All right children, that will be all for today," said Velvet. "Remember that a happy Pokémon is a strong Pokémon."

"Can we see another battle?" asked one of the kids. All the kids were now asking to see Velvet battle again.

"Sorry, but I believe Miss Rose would like to wait for her Pokémon to recover before our rematch."

"Actually," said Ruby, "I think I'm ready for a rematch."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. I think I have what it takes to win this time."

"Well then children, how many of you would like to see us battle one more time?"

All the children cheered, happy they would get to see their teacher show off her Pokémon again.

#

Once the preparations were finished, Velvet and Ruby returned to their previous positions.

"The rules will remain the same," said Velvet. "Each of us will use two Pokémon each. Good luck Ruby."

Velvet called out her Petilil as expected. Ruby was about to call out her first Pokémon when Tyrogue suddenly came out instead.

"Not again," sighed Ruby. "Tyrogue, return!"

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, not wanting to come back to Ruby.

"Can I have a minute?"

"Of course," said Velvet. Ruby knelt down to Tyrogue and held him by the shoulders.

"Listen Tyrogue, I know you really want to fight to prove yourself, but this isn't the right time. It's important I win this badge, and I have to win it using the right Pokémon. You're just not the Pokémon I need right now. Please Tyrogue, come back and let the others do the fighting."

Tyrogue looked upset that Ruby wasn't going to let him fight, but nodded in response, deciding to put his faith in Ruby's decision.

"Thank you Tyrogue," said Ruby, calling Tyrogue back into his ball. Velvet smiled at seeing Tyrogue and Ruby's bond growing stronger. "Now, without further interruption, my first Pokémon will be Eevee!"

Eevee ran up from behind Ruby and entered the battlefield.

"Changing up your strategy I see," said Velvet. "Let's hope it pays off."

"Eevee, Swift attack!" Eevee summoned her energy stars and sent them at Petilil, dealing some minor damage.

"Petilil, Stun Spore!" Petilil shot her spores at Eevee.

"Get back Eevee!" Eevee started backing away to avoid getting hit by the Stun Spore. Eevee then used Swift again, dealing more damage to Petilil.

_"She keeping her Pokémon at a distance to avoid getting hit by my status attacks,"_ thought Velvet. _"She's a very quick learner. I'll have to damage her Eevee first."_

Velvet ordered her Petilil to use Magical Leaf, striking Eevee for some minor damage. Ruby continued to play it safe and kept having Eevee use Swift; Petilil continued to use Magical Leaf. Both Pokémon were dealing the same amount of damage until one of the leaves cut through Eevee's leg, severely hurting her.

"Now Petilil, run up and paralyze her!" said Velvet. Petilil ran as it could to reach Eevee and use its Stun Spore.

"Run away Eevee!" said Ruby. Eevee tried running but the damage to her leg reduced her speed, allowing Petilil to get in close enough and spray Eevee with Stun Spore. Eevee was now inflicted with paralysis.

"C'mon Eevee! Fight through the paralysis!"

"All right Petilil, now use Leech Seed!" Petilil bent its head and fired its Leech Seed. Eevee rolled out of the way and avoided the attack.

"Eevee, Quick Attack!" Eevee ran quickly and struck Petilil head on, causing Petilil to fall back. Velvet was surprised to see Eevee able to keep going even after being paralyzed. "Good work Eevee! Keep using Quick Attack!"

"Petilil, Toxic attack!" Petilil tried to hit Eevee with Toxic, but Eevee was moving too quickly to be hit. Petilil was bordering on getting knocked out.

"Now Eevee, finish it with Swift!" Eevee distanced herself from Petilil and fired her Swift attack. The stars struck Petilil and took out what little health she had left. The children were surprised to see Petilil get knocked out by a Pokémon that was supposed to be paralyzed.

"Way to go Eevee!" cheered Ruby. Eevee cheered at Ruby right back. Velvet couldn't help but smile at seeing Ruby and Eevee acting so happy.

"You're a smart trainer Ruby. You have quite the ability to adapt to a situation quickly."

"No disrespect, but maybe you should give up now."

"We're not done yet. Beating my Petilil was one thing, but let's see how well you handle my top Pokémon."

Velvet called back her Petilil and brought out her Lilligant. The children were getting excited as being able to see Velvet's signature Pokémon in action.

"Lilligant, start things off with Sunny Day!" Lilligant leaned her flower towards the air and fired a ball of energy. The energy went up to the ceiling and gave off a bright light that illuminated the gym, almost as if they were now outside in the middle of the day.

"Nice special effects," said Ruby, "but it isn't going to help you! Eevee, Quick Attack!"

Eevee charged at Lilligant, but Lilligant quickly moved to the side before she can be hit by Eevee. Eevee tried to turn around and attack again, but Lilligant was still able to easily dodge Eevee. Lilligant was moving lightning fast for a Pokémon that didn't look like the speedy type.

"How is that Lilligant so fast?" asked Ruby.

"Simple," said Velvet. "My Lilligant has a special ability that makes it go faster in bright sunlight. Now Lilligant, hit Eevee with Toxic!"

Lilligant quickly ran up to Eevee and fired its poisonous goo. Eevee was too slow and got hit, now suffering from poison.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee tried to kick sand at Lilligant but was useless; Lilligant was already on the other side of the gym.

"Lilligant, finish it with Solar Beam!" Lilligant started gathering energy to launch her Solar Beam. With Sunny Day in effect, it wouldn't take long for Lilligant to use her attack. With Ruby running out of options, she decided to try delaying the attack.

"Eevee, use your Baby-Doll Eyes!" Eevee stared at Lilligant with tears in eyes in an attempt to make Lilligant lower her guard.

"Sorry Ruby, but that won't work on Lilligant! Fire away!" Lilligant lowered her head and fired a powerful energy beam at Eevee. Eevee took the full brunt of the attack and started rolling all the way across the gym. Ruby bent down and caught Eevee to stop her. Jaune ran down to check on Eevee.

"Eevee, are you okay?" Eevee slightly opened her eyes and smiled before fainting. Ruby held Eevee close to her chest and whispered into her ear. "You fought great out there. I promise I won't let you down."

"Is Eevee all right?" asked Jaune.

"She'll be fine. Take her to the healing center." Jaune took Eevee and ran to the gym's healing center as fast as he could.

"It all comes down to this Ruby," said Velvet. "Choose your next Pokémon wisely."

"I already know who to choose," said Ruby, reaching for her second Pokémon on her belt. "Go Beedrill!"

Ruby threw her Poké Ball and called out her Beedrill. Beedrill flew a few feet in the air and set its sights on Lilligant.

_"Ruby is wise in using Beedrill,"_ thought Yatsuhashi. _"Since Beedrill is a Poison type, it can't be poisoned itself, making Toxic useless."_

"Another dual type advantage," said Velvet. "Then again, your last type advantage didn't work out so well."

"I didn't choose Beedrill for its type," said Ruby. "You're not the only one that can use status effects to their advantage!"

"You're right, but I am the one who does it best, and I'll prove it! Lilligant, Stun Spore!"

"Beedrill, blind her with Flash!"

Lilligant quickly ran to where Beedrill was floating about and sprayed at Beedrill; Beedrill looked down on Lilligant and emitting a bright Flash from its eyes. Beedrill's body was paralyzed from the Stun Spore while Lilligant's eyes were hurt by the light. Meanwhile, the energy ball emitting the bright sunlight had started to fade.

"Beedrill, keep using Flash at Lilligant!"

"Lilligant, Sunny Day!"

Lilligant used her Sunny Day again while Beedrill kept emitting bright flashes at Lilligant. Sunny Day was back in full power, but Lilligant had suffered serious visual impairment from the flashes.

"Your Solar Beam won't do you any good with a blinded Pokémon!"

"A blinded Pokémon can still hit better than an immobile one! Lilligant, attack Beedrill with your Solar Beam!"

Lilligant quickly powered up and fired a Solar Beam at Beedrill. Beedrill moving slowly would have made it an easy target, but with Lilligant barely able to see, it was easily missing Beedrill.

"Phase one is complete," said Ruby. "Time for phase two! Poison that Lilligant with your Poison Sting!"

"Keep firing Solar Beam, Lilligant!" shouted Velvet. Beedrill flew close and struck Lilligant with its Poison Sting, then flew away before Lilligant can hit it with its Solar Beam. The children were getting excited at seeing the back and forth battle, and were cheering for Lilligant to finally land an attack on Beedrill.

Beedrill was about to hit another Poison Sting when suddenly it stopped flapping its wings and landed on the ground. The paralysis was really starting to take its toll.

"Now Lilligant!" Lilligant bent down and fired at Beedrill, finally landing a critical hit. The attack wasn't as powerful thanks to Beedrill's type resistance, but still did significant damage to Beedrill. One more successful attack and Ruby was going to lose again. All the children and Pokémon were now standing up and were calling for Velvet to end the match. Ruby grinded her teeth and was hoping for something to happen to Lilligant.

"Lilligant, finish it off with another Solar Beam!" commanded Velvet. Lilligant was gathering the energy needed for her attack when it suddenly began coughing and wheezing, losing its focus. Lilligant had been poisoned by Beedrill's last attack. It was the break Ruby needed.

"This is our chance Beedrill!" said Ruby. "Twin Needle attack now!"

Beedrill slowly got up and flew at Lilligant; Velvet was praying that Lilligant would fight through the poisoning and use her Solar Beam.

"C'mon Lilligant, fight it!" shouted Velvet. "Fight it!"

Lilligant tried to gather the strength to use Solar Beam, but it was too late. Beedrill approached Lilligant and struck its needles at Lilligant, knocking her to the ground. The children held their breath as Lilligant tried to get up, but the poisoning did her in and caused her to faint. The match was over.

"Lilligant has fainted," announced Yatsuhashi. "Your winner is Ruby Rose!"

"Yes!" shouted Ruby. "I win another badge! Pokémon League here I come!"

Ruby kept jumping and cheering for herself until she realized the children and Pokémon watching were upset about Velvet losing. Now Ruby was starting to feel guilty about gloating. Velvet recalled her Lilligant and turned to her students.

"Now children," said Velvet, "there's no reason to be upset. Even the best of trainers will lose a battle."

"Couldn't you use some of your stronger Pokémon?" asked one of the children.

"Only against the proper trainers. As Gym Leader, I am obligated to use Pokémon that matches a trainer's skill based on their badges earned. Now I want everyone to give Ruby a round of applause for putting on an amazing battle." The kids stood up and clapped for Ruby. Velvet went over to Ruby and shook her hand. "That was a remarkable battle Ruby. You have shown exceptional skills in both battling and bonding with your Pokémon. It is with honor that I award you the Lagos badge."

Velvet pulled out the Lagos badge, which resembled a brown rabbit's head, with ears similar to Velvet's hat. Ruby pinned the badge right next to her Crocea badge.

"You know, this badge reminds me," said Ruby. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"What's with the rabbit ears?"

"Oh, these?" Velvet pulled down one of the rabbit ears from her hat. "The kids and the Pokémon get a kick out of me wearing them, so I wear them nearly all the time. It's essentially become my look."

"Maybe I should get a pair of animal ears."

"I think you look cute enough as is. Now before you go, I'd also like to reward you with this." Velvet pulled out a technical machine and handed it to Ruby. "This is a TM that contains the move Toxic. This move can be learned by nearly any Pokémon; I think you'll find it very useful."

"Thank you Velvet. I'll be sure to put it to good use."

"I have no doubt you will."

Velvet shook hands with Ruby one last time before parting ways.

#

After spending the night at the city's Pokémon Center, Ruby and Jaune were getting ready to leave for their next destination. As Ruby was packing up her things, she kept looking down at the two badges on her shoulder strap and smiled.

"Two down and six to go," said Ruby. "Won't be long until we reach the Pokémon League, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee. Meanwhile, Jaune was looking over the egg he received from Yatsuhashi.

"I wonder what's going to hatch from this egg," said Jaune. "Maybe it'll be some legendary Pokémon!" Jaune imagined the egg hatching and out coming a legendary force that would make him a powerful trainer.

"I don't know Jaune; are you really ready to handle raising some super-powerful legendary?" Jaune suddenly imagined that legendary force attacking him for being such a weak trainer.

"On second thought, maybe it's just a baby bird of sorts."

Ruby, Eevee, and Jaune left the center and headed out for the next city. As they were walking, the egg in Jaune's bag began to slightly move around. It seems whatever was inside, it wouldn't be long before it hatched.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Usually I don't like putting author's notes in my fics, but since so many guests have left questions in reviews (which I can't answer directly because they are guest reviews), here's an FAQ to discuss what will happen in later chapters of the story. Feel free to ignore this if you don't want to be spoiled.**

**CHARACTER ROLES**

**Nearly every character we've seen in Volumes 1 and 2 (including Sage and Scarlet) will have some kind of role. I've already decided the gym leaders, Elite Four, antagonists, etc., and about 99% of the Pokémon everyone will be using, so suggestions will not be necessary. There will also be some non-RWBY characters from other Rooster Teeth works making appearances as well.**

**MEGAS AND LEGENDARIES**

**Mega Pokémon will not be a part of the story (they simply don't exist in Vale). Some legendary Pokémon will be making appearances. As for if any of them will actually be caught, well...wait and see. And before you ask, no, Jaune's egg is not a legendary.**

**WILL [this character] CAPTURE [this Pokémon], BEAT [this other character] IN BATTLE, AND WILL [this Pokémon] EVOLVE INTO [this other Pokémon]?**

**I don't want to mention which characters will be doing what since it will pretty much spoil the whole story. With that said though, Ruby will eventually go to the championships because, well, she's the main character! Jaune will also find his true calling before then, and Team White Fang will be defeated just like every other evil Team in Pokémon history.**

**WHY THE LONG BREAK BETWEEN CHAPTERS 4 AND 5?**

**Real life called and wanted me to do a bunch of work that unfortunately takes priority over writing fan fiction. That and I am cursed when it comes to trying to manage the time I spend doing stuff. I'll try to post more chapters faster in the future.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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